Saudade: The Things We Lost
by MadeNew
Summary: An exploration in canonverse of moments, relationships, memories that didn't quite make it into the official story. Tales too small and intimate to carry on alone. Eighteen: Sasuke wakes up in a hospital bed to a pleasant surprise.
1. Untrustworthy

**Untrustworthy**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

Sasuke wasn't used to people inconveniencing him. It wasn't all that long ago that he'd be able to simply ignore the problem until it went away, or he'd kill it if ignoring it failed. Having to make an effort to get the people of Konoha feel at ease was…a nuisance. Still, for the last six months, he'd powered through it. He'd let Naruto drag him out to all the parties and impromptu "missions" that more often than not involved running around the woods like lunatics. He'd taken Sakura on double dates with Sai and Ino (he was pretty sure these had been worse than all the parties). He'd participated in missions, and when Kakashi insisted someone else be captain for a change, he hadn't argued. And he was seeing progress. Chōji clapped him on the back with a friendly "Sasuke-san" when they passed in the halls. Rock Lee had started demanding to spar with him again (this was one request he consistently denied; he'd spar with Team Seven, who could handle him – more or less, but he doubted either Lee's body or mind was up to the task). Kiba had even dragged him out for drinks from time to time. He was learning to like the rough around the edges dog handler ninja. There was something direct and refreshing about him.

He'd noticed, too, that the village had started feeling friendly. He no longer had to crash at Naruto's for people to relax. In the beginning, he'd been shadowed everywhere but there, forcing him to choose between his exhausting, energetic best friend's constant companionship, and unsubtle eyes in the shadows. He doubted Kakashi had put any of the watchful ninja up to this, but he let it go. He was not to be trusted, and although Kakashi didn't think that way, he was prepared for the fact that many would.

Now, he was safe in his own apartment, too, although he was rarely there. He had discovered that Uchiha Compound often held more pain than healing. More often, he preferred to sleep on Sakura's couch, taking his time to ease back into her life, finding an intimacy there that was startlingly natural and wonderfully welcome. Unlike with Naruto, it was easy to eat a quiet breakfast with her; it was pleasant to simply sit side by side, shoulders brushing, as she read complicated scrolls on medical procedure and he worked on whatever paperwork Kakashi had thrown to him that particular evening. Sakura's apartment had somehow become his most comfortable refuge.

But when he left, he felt the shadows watch him. It was the same in Hokage tower. At first, it had been constant. Many anxious eyes, full of stress and fear, followed him, waited for him, as he reported to Kakashi or sat in the Hokage's sunlit tower to work away from Naruto's exuberance and Sakura's attention. He had been pleased to find that his old sensei had welcomed him back with truly open arms, and that he wasn't afraid of throwing Sasuke a challenge then and again, either. Now, a single pair of eyes watched as he left, watched as he arrived, both Hokage Tower and Sakura's apartment.

Six months. Six months, and everyone else seemed calm, seemed to have adjusted to him being a part of the new normal. Everyone but this singular, attentive, wary shadow.

Sasuke had had enough. He was prepared to continue to pay for his crimes in whatever way his watcher deemed necessary; however, he was not prepared to have Sakura's secrets compromised in the same way. Whoever had decided to babysit him would need to provide her with some little space, at least.

This thought in mind, he stopped a block away from Sakura's apartment and addressed the unseen person behind him: "You should know, you can't hide from me. Would you like to discuss this face to face?"

"Not sure what there is to discuss." Shikamaru Nara stepped out from the shadows. His posture was relaxed, shoulders slumped, hands in pockets. "Unless you disagree?"

Sasuke ran his eyes over him, refusing to unleash the Sharingan, refusing to confirm the threat that Shikamaru clearly believed was present. "I understand your lack of trust. But leave Sakura alone. The village is safe from me."

Shikamaru sighed. "Actually, Uchiha, as far as I'm concerned, you're probably the single greatest threat our village will ever face."

Sasuke's control slipped, and his visible eye bled red. Frustration, anger – after all this time, after all he'd sacrificed – his brother, his arm, his home – with everything he had to lose – Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, his whole damn reason for living – the greatest threat? After fucking _Madara_?

Shikamaru didn't respond to his temper except to lean slightly forward and bend his knees, a faint approximation of a defensive position. Sasuke could see he was at the ready, but Nara didn't up the ante. Instead, he sighed. "Look, I get it, okay? It's a bother. I trust Naruto like a brother. I know in my heart he would never betray us, and I've seen what he can do. It would take a rare shinobi to defeat him, if one ever could. But he's defenseless against you now because he trusts you the way I trust him. He'll die to protect you. And Sakura – the closer you get to her, the more likely she'll freeze, or worse, turn to your side, regardless of the consequences. And we both know Kakashi can't stand against you without them."

Sasuke swallowed uncomfortably, feeling the truth of it settle like a rock in his stomach. He let the Sharingan fade. "So what? You think stalking me will help? That somehow you'll be able to take me out, if Naruto can't?"

Shikamaru smirked and pulled his hands out of his pockets, holding them up and empty. "Nah. Best shot I have is to immobilize you until he gets here. And honestly, your chakra against mine, he'd better move fast. But I will watch you. If you can't defeat an enemy on strength – well, you'd better have a strategy."

Sasuke looked at him appraisingly. He'd heard much of Shikamaru's skills and tactics since returning, although he'd never run a mission with him. The man rarely left the village lately; Kakashi relied on him heavily, and when he wasn't working in the Hokage Tower, he was either with Chōji and Ino or Naruto – or, as much as Sasuke was sure Nara didn't want him to know this – the kunoichi from the Sand. "Naruto is lucky to have you by his side."

"No," Shikamaru said, a grim, fierce light in his eyes. "He's earned me, and better than me. If you do decide to turn against him, you won't have only me oppose you."

"Hero of the village. I'm aware. He's earned it." Sasuke paused, seeing how Shikamaru would react to the echo of his own words. His hands returned to his pockets, and he smirked. Some relaxation, then. Good. Time to try again. "I doubt I can ask you to trust me very successfully. But I can ask you to trust Sakura. Follow me in the Tower to protect Kakashi, if you must. But leave Sakura alone."

He seemed to weigh that, eyes closed and head tilted. His lips pressed into a thin line, and he shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Uchiha. It doesn't matter if I'm ninety percent sure that you're a changed man. I have to plan for that ten percent, especially when Naruto can't. I'll try to give you and Sakura your privacy. I won't interfere with your daily life unless absolutely necessary. Sakura would be pretty troublesome to deal with if I did, anyway. But I can't promise not to pay attention. That's my job. To watch Naruto's back, I have to protect it from you."

Sasuke inclined his head in acceptance and smiled slightly. "It's good to know someone will look out for the loser when I'm on mission."

Shikamaru chuckled. "Yeah, well, no one could ever quite fill your shoes, but he's definitely not alone."

Sasuke heard the sliver of a threat Shikamaru had hidden in his casual response and acknowledged it by turning so that the wind blew his hair up and out, revealing his Rinnegan. Well-intentioned and inclined as the tactician might be, never good to let him forget where they stood in strength to each other. "Enjoy your evening, Nara-san. Shall I give your regards to Sakura-chan?" It was a subtle slap, a reminder of where Sasuke intended this conversation to go, and a firm claim on the med-nin with an honorific he never even used with her (although he hoped Nara didn't know that – but, truthfully, he probably did).

Shikamaru sighed. "Nah, wouldn't want you to go to any trouble on my account. Have a good night."

He slipped back into the shadows, but his chakra lingered. Sasuke's jaw tightened. He could challenge him again. Displace him with the Rinnegan – now that was tempting. He could go to Kakashi or Naruto in the morning. Hell, he could go to Naruto now, just to get the shadow asshole off his back.

But he'd told Sakura he'd stop by. He'd broken enough promises to her. He wouldn't let Nara make him break another.

Decision made, he sprung swiftly to the rooftops. Shikamaru might choose to follow, but that didn't mean he needed to make it easy. In seconds, he was at her window; in another second, he was inside (an empty vase he'd never really liked clattered on the windowsill outside, the victim of his space displacement). He found himself mildly disappointed when Sakura failed to jump at his sudden appearance.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun. I was wondering if you were going to make it back tonight," she said cheerily, and he wondered if there was any real fear behind those words. There should have been, given his many disappearances, but if she'd thought of those at all, she'd hidden it well.

Still. "I thought it would be wise to be where I say I'll be while in Konoha."

There it was – she flinched. She looked up from where she sat on the couch, legs tucked up underneath her, a scroll with complex chakra equations on her lap. He steeled himself for her inevitable fear, for her to ask him if he was planning on leaving again. "What? Why? Are people bothering you again?"

Well, damn. Leave it to Sakura to have such utter faith in him. He couldn't repress a fond smile at the completeness of her trust, and he sank down on the couch beside her, knees touching. He resisted the urge to kiss her forehead – too much, too fast, and after all this time, it was worth doing right if they chose to do it at all – and leaned his head back against the couch instead, closing his eyes. "It's nothing."

_Thwack. _He wasn't surprised when the scroll's end suddenly hit his thigh. As he and Sakura became more and more comfortable with each other, her inclination towards smacking things that irritated her had started to come out on him. In their genin days, he'd assumed that had been reserved for Naruto, but she'd proven that quite wrong. "What was that for?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed and quickly snatching the scroll before she could use it again. Their fingers brushed, and he felt her slight jump.

"It's never nothing, Sasuke-kun," she said, exasperated. "Out with it. What happened?"

Feeling stubborn, he ignored her. Maybe he would go back to his apartment. Avoid awkward questions and conversations that would only serve to piss her off.

"_Sasuke-kun," _she said, more firmly. "Aren't we past this now?"

He opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to look at her. She'd shifted so that she was fully facing him, and her eyes were determined. Her mouth betrayed her, though. That small downturn of her lips showed him how worried she was. Yes. They were past it. They should have been, anyways. He sighed and clenched his hand slightly on the scroll, wrinkling it. "Nara doesn't seem to like it when I hang around you or Kakashi."

Her eyes flashed. "Well, I'd think Shikamaru is smart enough to know that that's my business! And Kakashi-sensei's!" She frowned suddenly. "Not Naruto though?"

He shrugged. He didn't really want to answer this. He was sure he knew why Shikamaru didn't bother when he was with Naruto. He was equally sure it wasn't something Sakura needed to hear. "I guess he must think I'm less of a threat with him around," he lied. There. That had the potential to piss her off enough at Nara to be a distraction.

"Why that little – wait." She paused mid fist-curl. "Sasuke-kun, do you really not know?"

Well, it had been worth a shot. But he was tired of this. Everyday, it felt like they found a new topic that needed discussing, a new broken promise to tiptoe over, a new wound that needed healing. It was like he had covered his team in barrage of broken glass when he left, and only Naruto had managed to heal alone.

He reached out with his one hand to take hers, still half-fisted. "Sakura." Always this way. Fast, like a bandaid, that was best. "With Naruto, Nara knows it's too late. If I'm going to be a threat, my friendship with Naruto is already set. There's nothing to watch. There aren't any cracks to expose and exploit. And I think he knows I'm not fool enough to attack Naruto in the heart of Konoha, anyway. Even if I tried, I'm sure Kurama would then try to kick my ass. On the other hand, my relationships with you, with Kakashi, still have…vulnerabilities. He's watching to exploit those, if he ever has to."

Sakura blinked and looked away. "I'm sorry," she said, quiet but firm.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to this reversal. Generally, he was the one apologizing to her. "You have nothing to be sorry for. You gave me more trust than I deserved for far longer than you should have. I caused this. Any rational person would've given up on me a long time ago."

"Naruto didn't."

"Yeah, the loser has attachment issues, if you haven't noticed. His stubbornness doesn't make your kindness any less." He wanted to catch her eye, wanted to see her receive one of the compliments he so rarely bestowed, but this one seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. "Sakura. I literally tried to kill you." He took a deep breath, pushed that guilt deep down, because it wasn't about him tonight. It was about her. He plowed through. "I tossed you aside again and again. Your decision to step back, to distance yourself, was the right one. You just made it way too late."

"I never gave up on you," she argued, tightening her fingers around his. "I gave up hope of getting you back, for awhile. But I never stopped loving you."

And because that was too much – too much for him to say, because of course he loved her, but they were still stretching this trust, still rebuilding too much of the foundation to place the final piece – all he could say was, "Thank you, Sakura," and drop her hand to poke her gently on the forehead.

He found he was proud of her when instead of drooping and being sad, perceiving more gratitude as more rejection, she smiled brightly at him. "Well, don't you worry, I'll set Shikamaru straight tomorrow. I'll just explain to him that I'm as hopeless as Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei's probably a lost cause too. Want some tea? I was just about to make some before bed. We can talk more if you want, too."

He let his hand brush her knee and whispered again, "Thank you, Sakura." Then, louder: "Yes, tea would be good. No-"

"No honey. I know." She bounced up and headed for the kitchen. He smiled at her back. Of all the conversations they'd had about the time he was a rogue ninja, that one had gone better than most. He was relieved. He hated seeing her pain. Hated more that he had been the cause of so much of it.

He knew he didn't deserve her. He'd always known.

And he didn't need her to alienate more of the people who loved her for his sake. "Don't talk to Nara, Sakura," he told her, taking the tea carefully. "I have a plan."

She tilted her head. "Not that I don't appreciate that, Sasuke, but I don't particularly like being told who my company should be."

He smiled slightly. "Annoying. Let it go, okay?"

"No." She stubbornly crossed her legs, smoothly sitting back down beside him. He frowned at her. "Oh, fine!" she sighed. "I'll leave it alone, but if he comes to me, I can't promise I'll hold back."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," he said honestly. He set the tea on the side table on top of a coaster messily painted as the Uchiha crest – a thoughtful, if clumsy, gift from Naruto to him earlier in the year.

"Good." She smiled at him, a brilliant smile, and settled back into the couch, leaning ever so slightly into his arm. He closed his eyes. Nara was a problem for another day. Tonight, he just wanted to enjoy her presence. It was a simple pleasure he never stopped appreciating, and when she fell asleep on his arm – well, tonight, he decided not to move her. Tonight, he leaned his cheek against her hair and fell asleep.

_A/N: Hey, y'all! I'm just playing around in this universe. We will see if it sticks or for how long. I'm most interested in moments that I feel are missing from canon. I'd like to believe there's more to many of these relationships than we see, so all drabbles/one-shots in this collection will be canonverse, although time period will vary. I'm open to requests if anyone is interested, and I always appreciate reviews. I hope you enjoy it!_

_-MN_


	2. Protectors

**Protectors**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

_A/N: Unlike the last addition, this takes place during Shippuden. I have to believe that Sakura and Naruto would've been in a lot of pain after this encounter with Sasuke. Please enjoy!_

After so long chasing their missing teammate, planning speeches in their heads and preparing new jutsu, praying and hoping and believing beyond belief that they'd be able to bring him home – Sakura found herself quietly wishing they'd never found him at all.

She thought she'd been prepared. Either she'd kill him, or he'd kill her. She didn't want to admit how badly she'd still been holding onto Naruto and his impossible powers of persuasion. She didn't want to admit that deep inside, she'd still been hoping he would _come home. _

Instead, they were in the same place they'd been for years. Except further apart. If not for Naruto and Kakashi, she knew she'd be dead. She almost wished it had gone that way.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

She jolted upright, realizing too late she'd been crying into the bowl of ramen Naruto had slid in front of her. "You – you have nothing to be sorry for, Naruto."

Her teammate shook his head. His eyes were as serious and set as she'd ever seen them. "I'm sorry I didn't know that that was what you were going to do until you were gone. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you from his pain. And I'm sorry he isn't home yet." His fist clenched around his spoon. "Sasuke – I'm the one who can bear his hatred, until he remembers how to set it down. And next time I'll protect you from that."

She cut him off before he could make another promise. "No, Naruto. Our Sasuke…he's gone. Our Sasuke would give up his life, his revenge, everything to protect us. And he was ready to kill his teammate. Not just us. Her. His own team. Someone he's supposed to protect. We don't know him anymore." To her shame, she felt more tears slide down her cheeks. But somehow – he was worthy of her grief, when she heard his mad laughter, felt his agony resonate through the kunai he'd tried to slam into her body, through the Chidori that Naruto's protection had dissolved into something as futile and impotent as the rage it represented. Yes – the tragedy that was Sasuke Uchiha was worthy of her sorrow.

And despite what lies she'd like to tell herself, he'd always have her love.

"No." Naruto shook his head fiercely. "Sakura, he's still our Sasuke. He's just…lost right now. But he'll come home."

"Speaking of home," a soft but firm voice behind them interrupted, "I think both of you need a long night's rest. Lost forever or not, Sasuke is out of our reach tonight."

"Yes, Kakashi-sensei," she murmured obediently, grateful for the chance to leave her ramen uneaten. She wasn't hungry anyways.

Naruto stood up, pushing his empty bowl back, and that was how she knew he was hurting too. A single bowl? Unthinkable, especially with someone else treating. Kakashi dropped payment onto the counter and gently urged her from her stool with a hand on her back. "Both of you, get some sleep."

"Kakashi-sensei?"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"Do you think we should give up on Sasuke?"

She found herself shifting slightly closer to Naruto, afraid of the answer, not wanting to be alone when she heard the _yes _echo through her own soul.

Kakashi looked thoughtfully at him. "Well, Naruto, I'm not sure that has an easy answer. Will you give up on Sasuke?"

"No. Never." He clenched his fists at his sides, and Sakura was standing close enough to feel the tension in his body.

"Even if I say yes, you should?"

"No matter what, Sensei."

"Then it doesn't matter whether or not I think we should give up on Sasuke." His eye crinkled in the way they only did when he was smiling under that mask. "Because I'm not going to give up on you."

Just like that, she saw the light come back into Naruto's eyes, and some of her exhaustion faded away. "Yes, Kakashi-sensei!"

"Good. Now get some sleep. And please, eat something that isn't ramen for breakfast. I'm sure Jiraiya-sama taught you better than that."

Sakura wasn't so sure about that, and neither was Naruto, by his nervous laughter. Still, they both waved goodbye to Kakashi and turned to go.

"Mind if I walk you home?" Naruto asked. "Not – not like a date, or anything," he added quickly, darting nervously out of her reach. "Just…'cause…Sas…" His voice trailed off.

"Yeah," she heard herself say. "I'd like that."

The walk back to her apartment was filled with Naruto's quiet chattering, an easy comfort to fill the silence of their grief. Lost forever or not, lost for now was somehow still so hard to take. When Naruto paused to breathe, she heard his laughter and felt his hate, saw his eyes that he'd worked so hard to keep cold and isolated. Then Naruto started talking again, inane babble about had she heard what Kiba had done on his last mission and could she believe how much stronger Hinata had gotten and didn't Shino _ever _get hot in that stupid outfit, it was the Land of Fire after all, and somehow she felt a little better.

When they got to her apartment, he paused, and she grabbed his sleeve to pull him inside. She made them tea and joined in his gossip when she could, diverted him to stories about Jiraiya and their travels when she couldn't quite take the stories she'd heard a million times again. And when their tea was long gone and cups cleaned and dried, she asked in a small voice, "Could you…stay?"

He smiled, that smile that was so Naruto, brilliant and understanding and knowing what she was asking despite his stupid crush. "Of course, Sakura-chan. Got an extra blanket for the couch? I kinda tend to snore."

She did. And when she woke up screaming and crying, calling out Sasuke's name in fear and grief and pain, he'd been there in a heartbeat. His chakra flowed over her like water, comforting and familiar, and his hands gently held her own as she cried herself back to sleep.

The next night, when it happened again, it took less time for her to fall back asleep. Again and again and again, until she could rest without more tears.

Sakura didn't know if she'd ever shake the nightmares, if the love she had for Sasuke would ever be less intense, less painful – unless Naruto somehow, by some miracle – but then, Naruto seemed to perform miracles pretty regularly – brought him home – but it was okay. She wasn't alone.

As her best friend held her hand and his chakra protected them both, she realized, he could do this for her, and she could protect him, too. So she smiled when he talked about Sasuke. She made sure he drank water and ate at least one serving of vegetables a day.

Sasuke had fractured Team Seven when he'd left, but she'd be damned if she let him break them for good. If they could do this – if he could protect her while she slept, and she could care for him while they worked – then maybe, they could do the impossible. If they could heal each other, maybe they could heal Sasuke, too.

_A/N: All for now! Again, all of the tales included in this collection are canon, so I intended the intimacy in this relationship to be strictly platonic. Was I successful?_

_-MN _


	3. Haunted

**Haunted**

_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto._

_A/N: And with this one I've gone even further into the past. This takes place immediately after the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Enjoy!_

He'd listened for weeks, after arriving at Orochimaru's hideout. Naruto healed fast – he _knew _that – this was so – so _stupid _–

Orochimaru knew it, too. He'd taunted him, goaded him, done everything he could to draw a reaction out of Sasuke, encouraging his anger, frustration, and rage into sudden bursts of power. "So sad over such a pathetic child?" he'd crooned. "So worried he may die at your hands that you can't defend yourself? How weak."

And Sasuke had roared and sent Chidori blazing down the sword he was still learning to use, disarming Kabuto for the first time. He bared his teeth in a grimace of a smile, daring Orochimaru to challenge him again.

The snake man had only tilted his head slightly to the side and said, "No need to worry, little Sasuke. I hear your old sensei found him in time, and now he's training with that fool, Jiraiya."

The name was hissed with such disgust and raw emotion that Sasuke started at it.

He wondered if he'd ever say Naruto's name that way.

Probably. Since he was alive.

He hid his relief by charging at Kabuto again, his movements rough, jittery, and the medic ninja nearly got under his guard. He blocked all images of Naruto from his mind – broken, bleeding, unconscious, left for dead in the rain and mud – screaming at him to _Come home already _– blocking Orochimaru's snake attack in the Forest of Death – no – that memory he could hold onto – he _would _not lose to Naruto. Not ever again. Not if he wanted to defeat Itachi.

So as he continued to train, he remembered bloody moons and shuriken that cut his arm and a blond-haired, loud-mouthed ninja who refused to admit defeat even when it was certain.

It wasn't until he went to bed that night that he allowed himself to cry softly, only a few tears slipping down his face with the water from the shower. Naruto was alive. He was alive. Sasuke hadn't killed him – hadn't lost him –

He shut off the water. This would need to stop. He did not need these feelings distracting him. Naruto had served his purpose, as a rival, as little as Sasuke liked to admit it, to show him he wasn't progressing quickly enough to kill Itachi. Naruto had been the catalyst for all of this. And it was time to let him go.

He put it from his mind (_because you're my friend_) and laid down to sleep, planning out his training for the next day, assessing what he most needed to improve in order to get his revenge. He wondered if he could get his hands on the summoning scrolls while Orochimaru was distracted and learn the summoning jutsu before they'd planned.

But when he slept, he dreamed of foxes with blue eyes.

_A/N: I don't think this is out of character for Sasuke, but I'd like to hear your thoughts. I'm on the fence about the tears, but I think his emotions would've been running incredibly close to the surface at this point, and he was still so young. Let me know!_

_-MN _


	4. On the Outside

**On the Outside**

_A/N: This takes place after the Fourth Shinobi War while Sasuke is traveling. It started as bonding between Kakashi and Sakura, but it ended up expanding from there. I hope you enjoy!_

They'd always been on the outside looking in, somehow.

It didn't hurt as much as it had before. Sakura had come to expect it. She and Kakashi would be left on the outskirts of the intense and dysfunctional brotherhood between Sasuke and Naruto. He would try to lead them; she would try to keep up; they both would catch them when they fell.

So it didn't surprise her much when one day, after Naruto received a particularly curt letter from Sasuke (_Moron, I said to contact me in emergencies. Four letters in one day about how you can't believe they carved Kakashi's face WITH his mask is not an emergency), _Kakashi offered to take her to lunch. Anything but ramen, she said, and he agreed.

"Call me Kakashi," he told her. "I don't think there's much left I can teach you anymore."

"Fine," she said, "but then I treat. Who needs rumors to spread?"

He chuckled and agreed, but when she found herself staring out the window watching for hawks that would inevitably circle down to Naruto instead of either one of them, he paid anyways.

Next time, she paid.

Team Seven had endured far worse rumors, she decided.

Meals together became a weekly thing. Sometimes it was lunch, sometimes dinner. Every once in awhile she found him on her doorstep, a bag of bagels in fruit in hand, after she came back from a particularly draining hospital shift or an exceptionally long mission. Every once in a while, after a ninja was lost on a mission or war seemed to be brewing again, she did the same for him.

It was an easy, natural friendship, for those who were part of the core of Team Seven and yet always on the outside. She realized she didn't care what people thought about them. They could talk all they wanted. No one who mattered would believe it.

Until Naruto got a letter that actually mentioned her name, the first since Sasuke had left the village. Naruto wrote regularly, as the only one who had been given away to contact him. Sakura had considered wrangling that out of him, but then she felt that if Sasuke had wanted to hear from her, he would've made that possible in the first place. Sasuke wrote to Naruto maybe once a month, maybe a few lines per letter, mostly shaming Naruto's idiocy or laughing at what he considered to be important enough to write.

This time, though, the letter completely disregarded everything else Naruto had written about (although Sakura couldn't say for sure that that had been anything worth responding to anyways) and simply said, _Sakura and Kakashi?_

So instead of letting Naruto interpret that question and give an answer that was sure to be clumsy and quite possibly misleading, she thumped him on the head, wrote her own response, and gave it to Naruto to send out under pain of chakra-covered fists.

_Team Seven looks out for its own_, was all she'd written.

The next letter came directly to her, delivered by hawk onto the hospital roof where she was eating a quiet lunch with Shizune. _Good_.

She smiled, because Sasuke wasn't a jealous man, but he'd needed to know badly enough to ask, and because despite his absence, she was okay. She had once told him that if he left Konoha, it would be the same to her as being alone.

That wasn't true. Not anymore. She was stronger than that.

Still, she started writing letters too. Hers were more contained than Naruto's, sticking mostly to business around the village and a quick update on Naruto's and Kakashi's wellbeing. He never wrote back, and again, mostly, it didn't hurt. She was on the outside looking in, but the hawk still visited her window to make sure it got her letters before heading off to whatever remote corner of the world Sasuke had found.

He might not write back, but she could be pretty sure he read what she wrote.

She got confirmation about six months later, when a particularly hard week at the hospital, where she'd worked through the nights and slept not at all and relied on soldier pills exclusively over food, took her down for a solid week. She slept, only waking up to cough and throw up, wondering why in the hell she hadn't thought to wear a mask around the clearly contagious man in the ER.

Five days into the week, she woke to the smell of soup. She sighed into her pillow, not wanting to get up, and realized the soft blanket from her couch, the one she had wanted but hadn't been able to talk herself into getting up to grab, was draped over her. She bit her lip. Naruto wouldn't have thought of the blanket, which left Ino or Kakashi. She dragged herself into a sitting position and closed her eyes, trying to sense the chakra in the kitchen, but – no, she didn't have the energy for that. "Hello?" she called sleepily.

Sasuke walked around the corner and suddenly she was much more awake. "Are you actually awake or are you just being polite?" he asked.

She stared. "Um."

He leaned against the doorway, putting his hand in his pocket and looking off to the side in what was almost an eye-roll but not quite. "Are you hungry?"

"Um."

His eyes snapped back to her, quickly examining her. "Sakura? Are you hungry, or do you need to sleep?"

"Sasuke…" She cleared her throat and rubbed at her eyes. Nope, still there. "What are you doing here?"

"Making sure you eat real food," he said irritably, "since apparently no one else will."

"That's…that's not fair. There was an emergency… Mission went wrong. Ambush." She was out of words again.

"Hm." He stepped forward. "Look, I can't stay long. Kakashi will be here as soon as he's officially off shift, unless Naruto can get to him sooner. I have to go. But I'd like you to eat some soup before I do."

Her heart sank slightly. "Yeah – yeah, I'm hungry."

So for a brief afternoon, he brought her soup and put her back to bed and sat on the windowsill while she pretended to try to sleep but really fought to stay awake, and when Naruto and Kakashi arrived, he lingered. For an hour, Team Seven listened to Naruto gossip and Sasuke needle him, and even though she and Kakashi were on the outside again, it had never felt so good.

She didn't know when she'd fallen back asleep, but when she woke, it was Kakashi greeting her with leftover soup and hot tea and a letter he showed her with a grin. "He sent this after you'd been out of it three days," he told her. "Apparently my answer didn't get to him quickly enough. He was already on his way to Konoha."

The letter was short: _I have not heard from Sakura. Is she well?_

She smiled and blushed, and Kakashi ruffled her hair fondly. "Get some sleep," he told her. "Maybe I'll forget to give Sasuke updates that you're still alive."

She blushed even harder but agreed conspiratorially. "I might get sick more often. Better not tell him that part."

"I would never," he promised, and she'd never been so glad to be a part of Team Seven.

Even if it was from the outskirts.

_A/N: I like to think that Sasuke would care enough to come back if he thought a member of Team Seven was in danger. I also love the relationship between Sakura and Kakashi and think it's pretty underrated in canon. I think it would be pretty unique. Let me know what you think!_


	5. Same Time Next Week

**Same Time Next Week**

_A/N: Thank you for the kind review, guest! Reviews mean the world to me, and I appreciate that you took the time to leave one. This takes place after the Fourth War and after Sasuke has returned to the village. Please enjoy!_

Kakashi was a man of grief. He had been for most of his life. When he was younger, it had nearly killed him, carrying the weight around, the guilt and sorrow and overwhelming feeling that it should have been him.

Every time, it should have been him.

So he had made time for it. He planned the mourning into his day. He went to the monument, so that those he had lost could see he knew he still belonged to them, and then somehow the pain was lessened enough for him to deal with the living.

It was odd. He knew that. But everyone grieved differently.

Kakashi grieved perpetually.

He shouldn't have been surprised when his old students learned to mourn the same way.

Sasuke's grief was both constant and poured out in spurts. He'd tried to sit with him at the monument once. It had lasted all of thirty seconds before Sasuke's fists had clenched, although he'd kept his face blank, and he'd disappeared. Moments later, lightning had struck from a completely clear sky, and Kakashi had sighed.

He hadn't been able to keep Sasuke out of the darkness. Of course he wouldn't be able to protect him from his grief.

But he wasn't the only one watching out for it now, either. Mere minutes after the lightning, a shouted _Rasengan! _echoed, and a sparring session began that wrecked trees and had Kakashi working to keep them moving away from the village. Sometimes they were both idiots, he thought, but next time, on Itachi's birthday, he rented out the largest training field he could find and sent the boys there to fight each other to their heart's content.

Sakura's grief was more subtle. Although she, too, had suffered and lost, she had gotten back the most important person in her life. After years away from the village, he was home, and he was growing steadily closer to her. Still, she carried it with pain. He knew from their missions. In the morning and night, she spent time on her knees before anywhere else, head bowed, eyes closed, fists clenched, and he knew this was her grieving time.

He hadn't expected Naruto to be the one to pick up his habits the most. The first time the usually loud-mouthed ninja joined him at the memorial, he had been surprised. He had clapped a hand onto his student's shoulder, and Naruto had given him a soft sort of half-smile. Neither of them spoke; words weren't necessary. Not for the heavy grief that settled on their shoulders.

He came again the next day, and the next. For two weeks, he joined Kakashi at the memorial, and afterwards, Kakashi found him bright and early one morning at the graveyard, sitting quietly in front of MINATO NAMIKAZE and KUSHINA UZUMAKI.

Kakashi sat cross-legged beside him, humming softly to himself as he unwrapped a granola bar and began to nibble on it. When Naruto looked at him with red eyes and wet cheeks, he offered a bite. The blonde boy shook his head, and Kakashi shrugged.

When Naruto was ready, after Kakashi had finished eating and slowly and carefully folded the wrapper and slid it into his pocket, he spoke. "Why does it hurt more now that I've met them?"

Kakashi didn't answer.

"I mean…it's not like I ever had them before, ya know? I didn't – I didn't know who they were, or anything about them, and that hurt too, but this…" He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Somehow knowing, even though I know they loved me and they were proud of me, makes it…worse."

Kakashi paused, making sure Naruto was done speaking, before he answered. "Sometimes knowing what you've lost makes you value it all the more, even when it's gone."

Naruto's brow furrowed.

Kakashi sighed. "You know what you had now. That makes it harder to say goodbye."

He nodded, swiping at his eyes. "You know what sucks? I can't tell them anything. And I can't ask them anything. And I wanna…I wanna know more about them. And I wanna tell them about me, too. About how Sasuke's back. And how Hinata watches out for me. About how good Konohamaru is getting with Rasengan. And I wanna know what made my dad become Hokage. What my mom woulda thought about me wanting to be Hokage someday too."

"You will be Hokage, Naruto," Kakashi said softly. "I have no doubt of that."

Despite himself, the blonde grinned.

"As for the other things, maybe I can answer some of it." Kakashi uncrossed his legs and leaned back on his hands. "And I think your parents will hear you when you talk to them, even if they can't answer. What do you want to know?"

Naruto rested his chin on his knees. "I know my dad was the Fourth Hokage. I know he could teleport and do some really quick cool jutsus, like Rasengan. But what else did he do? What was he like?"

Kakashi chuckled. "Well, he was one of the most feared and respected ninja of his time. Did you know that in the Third Shinobi War, the enemy forces had orders to flee on sight? Not kill. Not capture. Not follow. Flee. He was that dangerous, and he was that good of a ninja."

"Really?!"

"He singlehandedly struck down hundreds of enemies and protected us time and again. Even in times of war, Konoha wasn't afraid. Not while he was Hokage. He was strong, and he could be ruthless when he needed to be. But he was also kind and soft and ridiculous. He made up terrible names for jutsus that were all way too long, and your mother could bring him down to size with just a look." Kakashi laughed. "He was a good man, Naruto, and although you are a lot like Kushina too, you have your father's heart."

Naruto smiled softly. "Yeah?" he asked quietly. "You think so?"

Kakashi reached out and gently ruffled his hair. "I do."

There was a short silence, and Kakashi felt the questions that Naruto couldn't quite ask. "Your mother was…exciting. She was adventurous and brave and loyal to a fault, just like you. She always said exactly what was on her mind, whether she should have or not, and she never compromised. She held to what she believed in and she protected those she loved, and with her at his side, Minato was unconquerable. And she doted on Obito, before…before everything happened. She gave me hope when I had lost my way, just like your dad knew she would."

He felt more than heard Naruto's tears. "Thanks – Kakashi-sensei – I…" he trailed off.

Shifting slightly closer, he resumed talking. He told him everything he could think of about Minato and Kushina, and when he was completely out of things to say, Naruto's smile had returned and his tears had stopped.

"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," he said seriously. "Same time next week?"

_A/N: I believe that all of us carry our grief differently. I'm a little like Kakashi – sometimes I need to schedule mine into my day to make sure I can join the living for the rest of it. At least, that's what I think he's doing. Naruto always seems to be happy, but I think maybe he needs to do some of that, too. Feedback is always appreciated!_


	6. Personal Space

**Personal Space**

_A/N: After Sasuke's return to the village after his travels. Please enjoy!_

The casual intimacy between them…confused him.

It was so _easy._ So _natural_. As if…as if they'd been like this all their lives.

He wondered if they had, and if he'd just somehow missed it in his anger and pain.

Sasuke wasn't sure how he felt about it. He felt…uncomfortable. Left out.

Which was strange, because he certainly didn't like being touched, and although Naruto ignored that with astonishing regularity, to the point that it had stopped bothering Sasuke all that much, and even Kakashi had been known to tap him on the back or shoulder now and again, Sakura…was impossibly respectful of his space.

Impossible because she was, he'd begun to notice, respectful of no one else's.

He'd first realized it only a few months after his return to the village. It wasn't the first time Naruto had been gone longer than usual on a mission, but it was the first time he'd done so without checking in with any of them. (Even though all reports should have gone directly to Kakashi, Naruto would occasionally forget the official report and sent a personal letter to Sakura or Sasuke instead. Moron.) They hadn't heard from him in weeks.

Kakashi had steadfastly refused to send out a rescue squad – he was with Shikamaru, after all, and if anyone could keep Naruto out of trouble on a mission, it was him – Sasuke privately thought he'd have done a better job, but then, no one had asked his opinion – and the mission was sensitive enough to consider the serious consequences if they jeopardized it with a second team. Sasuke had agreed at first, but the last two days, he had started patrolling the village even on his off hours, stretching his chakra as far as he could, hoping it would brush up against Naruto's.

Nothing. Then, finally, the slightest brush, and he'd taken off towards it, heedless of the consequences. Two hours later, he deposited a passed out and shaking Shikamaru Nara in Sakura's arms. "Poison," he explained shortly. "Naruto's been sustaining him with the Nine-Tails' chakra for the last four days. Moron was too tired and worried to think of getting a message out."

The blonde beside him grinned guiltily, his blue eyes exhausted but beaming as he looked at the medic ninja. "Ah, Sakura-chan, I knew I could get him home, so I'm sorry for worrying you, but I'm…"

Sasuke was sure that he had intended the next word to be "fine", but in that exact moment, his chakra exhaustion seemed to hit him, and he stumbled forward. Sasuke caught him reflexively, muttering a soft, "Loser," in his ear that was more relieved than annoyed.

Sakura's eyes were hard and focused on Shikamaru. "I'm best with poisons. Sasuke-kun, please make Naruto lie down. He needs some water and food – _good _food. If I come back to find that he's eaten nothing but ramen, I'll kill you both."

Sasuke didn't doubt it.

They hadn't been alone long before Sakura returned. "Shikamaru will be fine," she said shortly. "Naruto, have you eaten? Had enough water? Only thing else for chakra exhaustion is rest."

Naruto – the idiot – clambered off the bed with a brilliant smile that had Sasuke's lips turning up slightly and he was sure Sakura would do the same, and said cheerily, "Oh, Sakura-chan, I'm strong! I'm doing just fine now. I'm sorry I worried you!"

He started towards her, and Sasuke was about to leave, sure that Sakura would put him to bed, and he hadn't got much sleep himself, in his worry about the missing man. He was so ready to leave that he'd half-turned towards the door, and he almost missed it.

"You – _moron!" _Sakura hit Naruto so hard on the head that he collapsed, and Sasuke was sure he was going to hit the floor – but then she caught him in the same moment, his head resting on her shoulders and her arms tightening at his waist. "You could have _died! _You absolute idiot, and Shikamaru will say the same thing when he wakes up, you know he will! What were you _thinking?!"_

Naruto laughed softly, to Sasuke's surprise. "Guess I wasn't, huh. Sorry, Sakura-chan."

Sasuke stared. Naruto's arms had come up to Sakura's shoulders with such ease, even though his eyes were closed, and he realized – it wasn't the first time something like this had happened.

Sakura turned her face into Naruto's hair, almost, he thought, pressing a kiss to the side of his head before pulling him back. "Bed," she said sternly, and he would've thought she was still angry if he hadn't heard her voice shake. "You need to sleep."

"Yes, ma'am," Naruto chuckled, as subdued as Sasuke had ever seen him, and he left quickly before he could see her gently help him to the bed, tuck him in, press a hand to his forehead to check for a fever.

He couldn't remember the last time she – anyone – had touched him like that. Gently. Kindly. With a love that was so powerful it could become anger. Itachi, maybe?

He thought maybe it was just Naruto. They had been in each other's lives for so long. He was aware of how close they had become. Maybe it shouldn't have surprised him at all.

Then it happened with Kakashi.

He'd come to get Sakura when the man had collapsed in the middle of receiving one of Sasuke's reports. He knew it was smarter to go the hospital, but then he'd have to explain, and he hated that. Instead, he'd gone to Sakura immediately, told her Kakashi needed her, and blinked them both away.

He hadn't been gone long, but when he returned with Sakura in tow, Kakashi had been upright again, rubbing his temples and blinking bleary eyes. "I'm sorry, Sasuke," he said softly. "It's been a difficult week. I find I've worn myself down more than anticipated."

He understood. It wasn't as bad as when Naruto had collapsed. Kakashi had just – slipped, and he would be better in the morning.

He opened his mouth to tell him he could finish the report then, but he never got the chance.

"Kakashi-sensei – I swear to God, Sasuke and I are the only ones on this team that have any sense at all!" She marched around the table, grabbed the startled Hokage by the ear, and dragged him up. "You're going to sit down. You're going to drink a full glass of water. You're going to eat a protein bar, which you will follow with a healthy breakfast tomorrow, and then you're going to bed."

"Sakura –"

"No. Arguments." She pushed his shoulders down and he sat obediently on the couch. She handed him a glass of water – when had she even gotten that? – and shoved it into his hands.

Their old teacher smiled slightly, resigned, and obediently drank. Sakura moved around him with practiced movements, checking his pulse, pressing her hand against his forehead to check for a fever, testing his hands and wrists for responsiveness. And all of these were medic things, something he'd seen her do hundreds of times with many, many different shinobi. But the hand that gently rubbed his back, just between his shoulder blades, that carefully pulled sweat-slicked hair that Sasuke hadn't even noticed back from Kakashi's eyes – that wasn't medical. It was personal. It was tender. It was loving.

He'd stayed mostly to make sure that Kakashi knew that he would know if the man didn't actually go sleep once Sakura got him to bed. When he finally left, it was late, and he was still puzzled.

When he returned to the village after a long mission, even wounded, she never touched him like that. She was careful and hesitant in her movements, reticent in her affection.

He wished he could understand why. True, he'd never encouraged her, even in their genin days. But to be treated differently, more coldly, than the rest of Team Seven…that was hard to stomach.

The next time they were together, he approached it. He had to. "Sakura, do you trust me?"

They were on a casual sort of patrol, looping slowly around the outskirts of the village. Naruto was out on a mission again, and Sasuke had found himself feeling extra protection of Konoha in those times. He'd also been surprised to find that he enjoyed Sakura's company for these excursions.

She stopped suddenly. "Of course. What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

As a rule, he hated discussions like these. But he hated not knowing things even more. "Nothing," he said, eyes firmly fixed on the horizon, and he refused to slow down for her. It was only a moment before she caught up, and he continued, "You treat me differently than Naruto and Kakashi."

"Sasuke-kun, you _are _different than Naruto and Kakashi-sensei," she said slowly.

His chest burned. He didn't even know what that meant. "Because I left?"

"No. Yes, but that's not the kind of different I mean." She jumped in front of him, catching him off guard and forcing him to stop and look at her. "Sasuke-kun, I think I've made my feelings for you quite clear. I don't feel that way about Naruto and Kakashi-sensei. They're my family, but they're not you."

"Then why don't you ever touch me?" The words burst out of him unbidden, and he bit his lip in frustration. He'd always been too impulsive, even as a child. He was always decisive, but that didn't mean he'd thought those decisions through. He wasn't like Itachi, who planned out every minute. He simply acted on what he felt was right, and damned be the consequences.

Sakura looked surprised. "Sasuke-kun, you don't like being touched. And I…don't want to be another part of the village that is disrespectful to you. If you want me to touch you like when I hit Naruto or force Kakashi to take care of himself, I can. I just never thought you…would want that."

He didn't. He didn't want to be just like them. "I don't."

"Okay, now I'm confused." She sighed, putting her hands up in a silent offering. "Are you okay with me touching you?"

He hadn't expected that question, didn't have to think about an answer – "Yes."

Well. He hadn't known that.

She smiled. "Okay, then. But I can't promise I'll just treat you like Naruto or Kakashi-sensei. If I make you uncomfortable, you'll have to tell me."

"Naruto makes me uncomfortable all the time. I can deal with it." Embarrassed, he turned to go, but she –

She caught his arm. "Okay then," she said softly, and her hand trailed down his arm to take his hand for just a heartbeat too long before letting go. "Okay now? We can go?"

He nodded, chest burning again, but warm this time, and he supposed – he supposed touch and intimacy weren't always bad.

Not when the people were worthy of it.

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed!_

_-MN_


	7. Miso

**Miso**

_A/N: This takes place after Sasuke's fight with Team Seven but before the War. This one was tough for me to write, so I appreciate any feedback! Content warning for some profanity, as Sasuke is pretty pissed off in this one._

The first time Sasuke had ramen after leaving Konoha, he vomited.

He should've known better. The smell had turned his stomach before he'd even tried, but the weather was cold, raining, and Karin and Suigetsu had been whining for far too long for him to convince himself it would be worth waiting for somewhere else to open. So he'd sat down, ordered, and taken a bite.

And promptly turned and threw up.

"Sasuke-kun, are you sick?!" Karin cried out, turning towards him.

"I'm fine," he snarled, slapping her hand away. "Don't touch me."

He couldn't make himself feel guilty for the hurt look on her face. Not when he was sitting there, nauseated and miserable, unable to eat, all because of…all because of…

Naruto.

He threw up again, and this time it was Juugo who moved to catch him.

"I said, I'm _fine!" _he snapped again, pushing the man away. "I'm going to get a room at the inn. Do what you want. We leave at dawn."

None of them were stupid enough to follow him. Thank God for small miracles.

In his room, he set up traps, making sure anyone dumb enough to try the door or windows would be killed – or at least maimed – if they tried to enter without his permission. Then he sat on the bed, closed his eyes until his Sharingan had faded, and threw his fists into them. "Fuck!"

He was supposed to be over this. It wasn't like he hadn't seen them since. He knew what they were. He knew Sakura was finally starting to realize he wasn't the person she'd once known. He knew Kakashi had long ago prepared to kill him, should he ever have the chance. But Naruto…

_Fuck _that stupid man with his stupid optimism and stupid blue eyes that saw right fucking through Sasuke. He had already intruded on Sasuke's life enough. And now – now he wanted to screw up Sasuke's eating, too.

It wasn't like he'd ever really liked ramen all that much, he admitted to himself. He'd more or less avoided it since defecting from Konoha. It brought back memories. He could still hear Naruto's introduction to Team Seven that focused far too much on ramen, leaving his dream to become Hokage tagged on as an afterthought. He smirked in spite of himself. What a loser.

A loser who kept getting stronger. Sasuke's fists clenched. He would take him down, with the rest of Konoha. They all deserved it, for what they'd done to Itachi. He would make them pay.

His stomach grumbled.

He swore again. He was not going to take down Naruto on an empty stomach – knowing the blonde idiot the way he did, he was sure the next time they met that _he _certainly wouldn't be fighting on an empty stomach – which meant that Sasuke –

Damnit, Sasuke was going to eat the ramen if it killed him.

Naruto would _not _win simply because he had managed to wiggle his way this deep into Sasuke's brain uninvited.

He got up, painstakingly undoing all of his traps – on the window, at least; no point letting anyone know he'd left – and made his way back to the stand, which he found blissfully empty. Juugo, Karin, and Suigetsu must've already found somewhere to sleep.

He sat down again and ordered. Miso ramen with pork. Naruto's favorite.

It took three bowls for him to stop vomiting. The stand owner had tried to dissuade him, tried to say he was closing up for the night anyways, and clearly Sasuke was ill. The third time, Sasuke had had enough. He fixed him with the Sharingan and calmly informed him that he would continue to serve or he would be killed. Which he chose mattered little. Sasuke was going to eat his fill and be done with it.

It took three bowls, but he succeeded. He went to bed exhausted and nauseated but triumphant.

He woke only an hour later with tears in his eyes and a voice ringing in his ears: _"Because you're my friend!"_

_Damnit. _It was just going to be one of those nights. He sat up, panting, running his hands through his hair, reflexively checking to make sure none of his traps had been sprung. His friend. What didn't Naruto _get _about this?! They weren't friends – they hadn't been friends for years –

Except that they were.

The realization hit him with startling clarity. Naruto was his friend because he refused to let go. And until Naruto let go of Sasuke, Sasuke wasn't going to be able to let go of him either. No matter how many bowls of miso ramen he ate and then threw up again.

Fine. He said he'd kill him. He'd meant it. But now it had to be personal. Not just because Naruto was a part of Konoha, the traitorous, ungrateful village that had murdered Itachi. No. He had to kill him because if he didn't, some part of Sasuke would always be…Naruto.

He'd always wanted to let that past die, but he was okay if he had to kill it, since it wouldn't die on its own. Not while Naruto lived.

So he got up, sat cross-legged on the floor, and trained. He exercised his Sharingan, practiced his aim with Amateratsu on small bits of cloth, perfected his ability to call up Susanoo in increments.

Fine. He would do whatever it took to achieve his goal. No matter how hard he had to work. No matter how many people had to die before he got to Naruto. Because Naruto had to die before he could move the fuck _on._

He sat up all night, and when they left in the morning, he was more prepared and determined than ever.

But when they reached the next village to rest, he let the others eat without him. It did no good. That night, he dreamed again – of Naruto and Konoha and air that smelled like miso.

_A/N: This oneshot was inspired by Kinomi Akai (whose work you should definitely check out, if you haven't already – the piece that inspired this specifically was "Some Nights are a Storm"). The take there was slightly different, with a romantic relationship between Naruto and Sasuke, but I think the concept is applicable this way too. Smell is one of our most intense senses connected to memory, and I think it would have affected Sasuke strongly. Despite his attempts to stay emotionless, this dude feels everything pretty intensely! This also turned weirdly humorous for me, and I couldn't stop it, so I ran with it. Please let me know what you think._

_-MN_


	8. Redemption

**Redemption**

_A/N: This takes place during Sasuke's travels after the war. Enjoy!_

Every once in a rare while, Sasuke still wanted revenge.

It wasn't the standard response, anymore. Usually, when he thought of his family, of Itachi, he remembered all the damage he had done in their names and how they would have hated it, and he felt sorrow and guilt resettle themselves over him like a cloak, cold and unyielding, but familiar. Comforting. He would carry them with pride, as was his duty. It was always the Uchiha duty.

And most of the time, that was okay. But now and then, maybe once every few months, he'd catch a glimpse himself in the mirror and see Itachi, and the pain would lance through him like a whip, and rage would follow hot on its heels, burning and vicious and clawing its way through him until Sasuke was made of fire and if he just screamed, he would burn the whole world down.

Those days, he went to Konoha.

He never spoke to them. He simply watched. They…centered him. Settled him. Reminded him why he had abandoned that course. Reminded him that for all their failures, for all that the system was broken, sometimes it worked, too.

He'd arrive in the middle of the night, position himself near the memorial, and wait.

By dawn, Kakashi would be there.

Solemn and still, the gray-haired Hokage stood silent before the names of those he loved and yet had failed to protect. He rarely spoke, if ever, and he was usually alone. But he was always there, without fail. In storms, when the weather was so bad that it was almost enough to make Sasuke forgive Konoha for the millionth time just so he could go somewhere warm and dry, Kakashi was there. And he soothed Sasuke's damaged soul. He was Konoha's penance, eternal in his grief and regret, holding up the weight of all their failures.

During the daytime, he watched Naruto.

He never ceased to amaze Sasuke. Loud and boisterous with Kiba one moment to calm, serious trainer with Konohamaru the next, Naruto somehow managed to be the person that everyone in the village needed at the moment he met them on the street. He made them laugh, made them smile, gave them hope. Sasuke wondered if Kakashi would have been able to rebuild the village without him. He doubted it. Everywhere Naruto went, the efforts revitalized. Spirits lifted. And Sasuke noticed that afterwards, the people were somehow kinder to one another, as if Naruto had somehow sucked some roughness from their souls and left them purer. Naruto's idiocy and resolute joy and belief in himself and the people of the village was like a river rushing through the home that had never deserved him, washing away their sins.

It was in the evening that he turned to Sakura.

Kakashi soothed his soul as penance for the village, and Naruto eased the weight of his anger by being its redemption, but it was Sakura's steadfastness that saved Sasuke from himself. She had a routine each evening, unless she was at the hospital or on a mission, and when that happened, Sasuke found himself hovering until she got back and he could see that she was – that she was still – Sakura. Because to him, this had become the way he was able to continue. He could leave knowing that when he came back, she would still be there, redeeming him, that she was doing so even when he was gone.

It was simple enough. She returned home, disappeared into her bedroom – he refused to lower himself to watching her in any room other than her kitchen or living room – and then when she emerged, hair still dripping from her shower and clothed in pajamas, she began. She opened the window – always the one Sasuke used to watch her – and carefully set out a tomato plant. It taken him a bit to figure out why she kept doing this. Eventually, he'd figured it out. Tomatoes needed sunlight. In the morning, she put the plant in the east window; in the evening, she moved it to the west. She watered it carefully, testing the soil with her fingers. Occasionally, if the fruit was ripe, she'd pluck one off and eat it whole, slowly, as if savoring each bite. Then she would sit at the table, letting the breeze through the open window flow over her, and she'd write. Usually, she'd write until it grew dark. Sasuke found it comforting, the rhythmic move of her pen on paper, and when she finally rolled the scroll up, he felt some pain inside him release. She walked quietly to the window, pulled the plant back inside, and tied the scroll to the outside of the window frame. She shut and locked it then, and his last glimpse of her was always a quiet, tired smile before she moved out of his sight for the evening.

Every night he watched, she never failed. Sometimes several scrolls in a row would be piled up, one tied on top of the others. Other times, it was just one. Each had his name carefully written against the seal. How many there depended on how often he sent his hawk back for news, or how long it had been since he'd last needed this comfort.

It wasn't the words she wrote. They were light, frivolous, general information about the goings-on of the village, notes about Kakashi and Naruto, the occasional ranted frustration with the hospital. It didn't matter. It mattered that she wrote them at all.

It was only then that Sasuke could leave sated, return to his journey with a heart less broken and damaged, if only slightly. If Kakashi paid for Konoha's sins and Naruto redeemed them, then Sasuke paid for his sins while Sakura redeemed him.

If she ever stopped, he felt certain he'd be lost. He'd give in to the rage because there would be no point not to – because there would be no salvation for him, no matter how Naruto tried. He could not redeem himself; he could not be his own champion into a new life. But she could. And she was.

When Sasuke felt the need to kill and rage and burn, he went to Konoha. He let two members of Team Seven shame him into protection and love, let them save the village again, but it was the third who saved him. Again and again.

Someday, when his redemption was completed, he'd tell her. He'd come home and whisper all the things he'd never been able to say. But for now, whenever he left, full and prepared to bear the sorrow once more, all he could whisper was, "Thank you, Sakura."

It was inadequate. It was nothing. And it was everything he had to give.

_A/N: I am rarely satisfied by Sakura and Sasuke's relationship as portrayed in canon, which is why many of my one-shots tend to focus on them. I want them to be more fleshed out, and I want to believe that Sasuke's gratitude goes deeper than the surface level. Let me know what you think!_

_-MN _


	9. In His Dreams

**In His Dreams**

_A/N: This takes place shortly after the Sasuke Retrieval Arc. Naruto has (mostly) healed from his injuries but hasn't begun training with Jiraiya officially yet. It can be read as a companion piece to the third installation in this series, "Haunted", if you'd like. Enjoy!_

Sasuke's words haunted him.

Naruto didn't like that he hadn't understood – hadn't realized – hadn't known the extent of the damage that had been done to his best friend. What hurt worse was that Sasuke was probably right.

He heard him again, the agony in his voice, echoing in Naruto's mind. _"You were alone right from the beginning! How could you possibly know how it feels to lose all that?!"_

Naruto's heart hurt, hurt in ways he hadn't known were possible, and he clenched his fists. "You're right. I don't know," he said quietly to the empty sky. "But I bet it probably feels a little like this."

"Naruto?"

He turned, flinching only slightly when the movement pulled at his still-bandaged arm. "Ah, Sakura-chan. Sorry, I know I'm supposed to be in the hospital – don't tell Granny Tsunade! Please don't tell her! I'll never make you stop for ramen ever again! Or – well – not for another month – or week – don't tell her!"

She laughed, coming up to sit beside him on the top of the Fourth Hokage's head, Naruto's favorite place to sit and think, watching over the village. "Don't worry," she said with a giggle. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her. Unless you hurt yourself, and then I just came out here to try to stop you. And you shouldn't call her Granny, Naruto. She's the Fifth Hokage."

"Yeah, I know. But she's so old!"

Sakura pinched his arm. "I said to stop it. Now what were you talking about?"

He left off rubbing his arm where she'd grabbed it and mumbling about how mean she was to him. "I was just…talking to Sasuke, I guess. I know he's not here, but… Something he said bothered me. And it's stupid that I can't tell him about how stupid it was to say."

Her eyes grew sad, and she bit her lip. "What did he say?"

Naruto pulled his knees up to his chin, hugging them with his arms. It made his muscles pull uncomfortably tight, but he couldn't make himself care. It was hard enough to think about Sasuke alone. He was almost afraid to talk about him with Sakura. Especially with that promise looming over him, unfulfilled. "He, uh, talked about being alone. What it was like to lose his family. Said I couldn't understand because I've – I've always been alone, until you, Sakura-chan, and Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei and – and Sasuke. But I think I kind of do understand. And I don't understand why he wants to be alone. It sucks. I understand that part probably better than he does." He cut himself off, worried he'd said too much, worried he'd look up and see her crying.

But she wasn't. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and her face was drawn and serious, but her eyes – her eyes were dry.

Naruto thanked all the gods he knew for that.

"Naruto, if anyone doesn't understand, it's me," she said softly. "I've been lucky. I have my family. I have my friends. I have you, and Kakashi-sensei, and – and I think I'm going to ask Tsunade-sama to train me. I'm going to be just as strong as you and Sasuke-kun are. Stronger, even. But just because I have my family doesn't mean that I don't understand what it's like to lose someone."

"Yeah, but that doesn't make you wanna leave and be alone forever. That's a stupid way to react. It's a stupid thing to think. Gaara thinks like that, you know. That's how he tried to kill us. Alone. He only lives for himself." Naruto frowned. "I saw it then, and I don't know why Sasuke didn't. He's supposed to be smarter than me, ya know."

"I'm supposed to be smarter than you too," she said suddenly, almost interrupting him. "But I feel pretty stupid right now. I just let him…walk away. At least you fought. He barely even had to try to knock me out."

"It's not your fault, Sakura-chan!" Naruto turned towards her, almost angry, waving his hands. "It's not! It's – it's Itachi's fault, and Orochimaru's, and okay, it's Sasuke's too, but not yours! The idiot just thinks that he has to be alone because – because people have lied to him a lot, but it's not true! And he's not alone, anyways! I won't let him be!"

She choked out a laugh, but Naruto was horrified to see tears in her eyes. "How are you gonna stop him, Naruto? He's gone. He's…" She stopped, let her face fall into her knee, drawing in on herself.

Naruto huffed. "Why aren't you getting this? Why didn't he?!" He leapt to his feet, clenching his fists. "He's not along because we still care about him, Sakura-chan! He's still our teammate, and he's my friend! Whether he wants to admit it or not doesn't matter! It doesn't change the truth!"

She stood slowly beside him. "Naruto…"

He focused on the sky. "Sasuke, I don't know if you can hear me. So maybe I don't understand what it was like to lose everything in one night. But I know what it's like to lose you. And I know what it's like to be alone. So I'm not giving up, hear me? You're just gonna have to deal with it. I'll kick your ass however many times I have to! I'll make you come home!"

The vastness of the world around him seemed to absorb his voice, and he frowned. Stupid Sasuke, too far away to hear him.

"Naruto, I think maybe…I think maybe he hears you, anyways," Sakura said softly. "Maybe even if he doesn't understand. Now come on. Tsunade-sama will notice if you're gone too long, and don't think I'll let you blame me!"

He decided to let her. He followed her down, back to the hospital, got into bed before Tsunade noticed his absence. (The fact that she'd notice his dirty bandages later on in the evening didn't occur to him until she showed up to change them a couple hours later.) Sakura waited with him all of the ten minutes it took until he fell asleep.

He dreamed of red eyes and a friend in pain, but this time, he didn't lose. He didn't wake up on his sensei's back. Instead, he and Sasuke met Kakashi in the forest, his arm around Sasuke's shoulders, like the day they had finally gained enough chakra control to tree walk. This time, he protected his brother from the pain.

Reality had never been kind to Naruto, but in his dreams, he brought Sasuke home.

_A/N: So there it is! I honestly really struggled with this, especially with the dialogue, so please leave any feedback you have. I'd like to actually write a companion part with Sakura too, and one with Kakashi, but I'm not sure this one worked with "Haunted" as well as I wanted it to, so – you tell me! Are those things you'd like to see? _

_For those of you who have given me feedback, thank you! It means the world._

_-MN_


	10. Not Tired

**Not Tired**

_A/N: This is furthest back in the timeline I've written. I've had it ready for a bit, but I'm never quite happy with it. Still, I think it's prepared enough to post. It takes place shortly after the fight with Zabuza and Haku. Enjoy!_

Kakashi had expected his students to fall asleep immediately the first night after leaving the bridge builder.

It made sense. They had to be exhausted. Sasuke's body still hadn't completely recovered from Haku's attacks. Nonlethal they may have been, but their impact had left Sasuke bruised and sore, moving slowly and flinching often. And he hadn't been letting himself take it easy, either. Every time they had stopped for a meal or a rest, Sasuke and Naruto had immediately reverted to their tree-climbing, desperate to out-do the other, despite Kakashi's scolding and Sakura's adamant reminders that Sasuke had been hurt far worse than Naruto, so the competition wasn't really fair anyways.

All of that should have added up to three worn-out genin ready for a long night's sleep. Yet, Kakashi had announced that it was time for bed and that he would take first watch, and they still just…sat there. Around the fire. For absolutely no reason.

Kakashi frowned. "I said, I'll take first watch. You three must be tired. It's time for bed."

"'M not ti-i-ired," Naruto yawned, trying and failing to stifle it, and ending up with his fist half-stuffed in his mouth, pretending what he'd said was very believable.

"Me – me either, Sensei," Sakura said softly, and although he could see the exhaustion in her eyes, at least she was a more believable liar than Naruto. And for the life of him, Kakashi couldn't understand why.

Then Sasuke snorted, and Kakashi suddenly figured it out.

Sasuke snorted, probably in derision at Naruto's absurd complaint that he wasn't tired, and the movement that came with it made him flinch. It was slight, but it was there, and both Sakura and Naruto, perched on either side of him on the log by the fire, shifted the angles of their bodies towards him, protective, hovering without letting him notice.

Interesting.

"Well, if you aren't tired, would you mind stoking up that fire, Sasuke? And I'll grab us some blankets from that perfectly good tent that no one is tired enough to use."

"I – I think the fire's fine, Sensei," Sakura said, but Sasuke didn't let her finish.

"Quit being annoying, Sakura," he muttered, and he leaned forward, exhaling a small fireball that popped their smoldering embers into bright light.

And this time his flinch was noticeable. His whole body shuddered, curling in on itself, and Naruto reached across him to grab at the unfinished food on Sakura's lap, timing the movement perfectly enough to catch Sasuke's shoulders and lift hm back up. And Sakura's answering slap managed to still the overcorrection of Naruto's suddenness, steadying their injured teammate.

Without him even being able to complain, because they were just being Naruto and Sakura.

Kakashi had to admit it. He was impressed. He stood up, stretching, and walked over to the tent. He paused, considering his options, and finally pulled out three blankets and three pillows before heading back to the fire. He threw them at his students. "At least take these. In case you three very-awake ninja need a nap."

Naruto and Sasuke scowled, but Sakura blushed. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

"Don't worry about it. Look, I'm gonna settle into one of these trees and set a few traps, alright? Then we can all get some good rest when we're _tired_." He leapt lightly into the tree above them, not waiting for a response, and settled carefully so they wouldn't see him – but oh, could he see them. He wondered how long this would last. They had to be exhausted. They just had to be.

He expected Sakura to cave first, but again, he was surprised. After a few minutes of Naruto restlessly tapping his legs up and down and wiggling his torso, Sasuke turned and pushed at him. "Knock it off, moron."

"You knock it off, jerk!" And Naruto turned suddenly, kicking Sasuke's legs out from under him and swinging his arm against his back, unbalancing him – and Sasuke tumbled off the log, cursing his idiot teammate.

But as he landed, Sakura managed to snatch his pillow and shove it under his head.

And as he laid there, body taut with pain, calling Naruto every bad name he could think of – in fact, Kakashi hadn't known Sasuke even had a vocabulary that colorful – Naruto turned his back on him, muttering about ungrateful teammates, and threw his blanket over Sasuke's head, saying, "There. Maybe that'll make you shut up. Your face is all bruised and weird-looking anyhow."

And Sasuke yanked the blanket down from his face, but he didn't get up.

As Kakashi watched in amazement, Sakura and Naruto waited quietly. He could barely believe what he was seeing. Sasuke, letting his teammates take care of him? Even under the guise of accident and annoyance? And more than that – Naruto, waiting quietly? In all of Konoha, that was unheard of.

It didn't take long, and that was probably a blessing. Slowly, Sasuke's eyes slid closed, as if by accident, and Sakura slipped off the log. She knelt quietly by his head, pulling her blankets down and stretching out along her side of the fire, head by Sasuke's, hand laid softly beside his.

And Naruto – well, Naruto stretched out on the log itself, and his eyes were the last to close, watchful and protective, staring down on both his teammates.

It was enough to make Kakashi's heart hurt.

He knew it wouldn't last. Of course it couldn't. Tomorrow, Sasuke would be embarrassed, and he'd be nastier than necessary to Sakura and harder than usual on Naruto. Tomorrow, Naruto would make a fool of himself trying to compete with him and let his feelings be hurt. Tomorrow, Sakura would make a fool of herself trying to fawn over him and let her feelings be hurt.

But tonight, he was proud of Team Seven. Tonight, they proved that they had truly deserved to pass the bell test. He had to admit he hadn't been all that sure at the time.

Kakashi saw when Naruto rolled off the log that night and landed on Sasuke. He heard the angry cursing and the short scuffle that followed. And he saw when Sasuke sat up, looked around, and realized what had happened. He saw when he gently tugged Sakura's blanket up to cover her back from where it had slid to her waist. He saw him grab Naruto's pillow from the log and lift the still-sleeping blond head to shove it roughly under him. He saw him scoot further away…and go back to sleep, as if nothing had ever happened.

Someday far ahead, when Sasuke left, Kakashi would think of this night. He would blame it for his false sense of security, pin this night as when he'd overestimated Team Seven's hold on the broken child.

Someday even further ahead, when Sasuke returned, Kakashi would think of this night again and realize that even though he'd misunderstood Itachi's hold on Sasuke's heart, he'd been right all along.

Itachi had Sasuke's past, but Team Seven had always held his future.

_A/N: I think that Sakura and Naruto would have reacted pretty strongly to seeing Sasuke "die". Please, let me know what you think! _

_-MN_


	11. The Basic Emotions

**The Basic Emotions**

_A/N: This takes place while Sasuke is traveling. It can be read concurrently with "On the Outside", the fourth installment in this series. Also, this one got away from me a bit, but more on that at the end. Content warning for some profanity. Enjoy!_

Sasuke had spent so long suppressing his emotions that he wasn't sure how to have them anymore.

For years, he'd allowed only anger and pain. He'd used them to spur himself on, forced himself to feel them and only them – and then, when they became too much, he shut it all down and simply felt nothing.

When he'd been taken back and placed in a cell in darkness and chains, he'd kept them shut down. He let himself feel nothing. What would happen, would happen. Naruto would make sure he got out, or he would not.

Sasuke realized he had very little investment in either outcome.

He had very little investment in anything at all, lately.

Nothing to destroy. No one to kill. No goal to achieve. No purpose.

When Sakura asked to follow, he was grateful. He was relieved to know she cared, that she would continue to care, but gratitude wasn't really a feeling, either. Not enough of one to justify her presence on his journey. He had to figure out his purpose, first, who he was and how he felt about…everything.

It took time, for his emotions to start returning, and when they did, they didn't come back together or in any particular order. Nor did they arrive in reasonable doses, much to his frustration.

The first time Sasuke felt joy, felt all the power of life that Naruto had given back to him, it brought him to his knees.

He simply fell in the clearing in the middle of the forest. It had just – hit him – the sky was so blue – the sun so warm – the song of the birds so beautiful – how had he not noticed? When had he last heard? How had he wanted to destroy this world? How had Naruto ever managed to bring him out of a darkness so deep he had somehow _missed_ all of this?

He had no idea how long he stayed there, hand trailing in the soft grass, eyes opened wide and bright to memorize every detail. He only knew that when he stood, his knees were stiff, and his cheeks were wet.

He wrote a letter to Naruto and camped there, in the clearing. The letter was short and to the point, but it was the first one he'd written since he left. He needed him to know – needed him to know that Sasuke was still his best friend, would always be, was still alive and breathing and living because of him.

Not that he could say any of that. Instead, he simply gave Naruto instructions on how to reach him. Sasuke had always needed Naruto – in ways he'd never understood and always hated – but if Naruto needed him, too, he'd be damned if he let him down simply because Naruto couldn't find him.

The first time he felt sorrow, grief, guilt, several months after the return of joy, he was sitting in a cave, having taken refuge from a particularly nasty storm. Lightning struck close enough for him to feel the heat, and while he usually enjoyed such weather and the power it allowed him to access, he felt…_sick_. The thunder roared, and his mind saw Naruto, collapsed in the rain and mud, a child he'd tried to kill, broken and left for dead. Lightning flashed again, and he felt the power of Chidori in his hands and narrow window by which he'd missed Sakura's body. The rain pounded and pounded, and Sasuke wept.

He didn't write that night, but he reread the messy letters from Naruto, the crisp, sweet notes from Sakura. He read them again and again until they were damp and the ink smeared, and when it was too much, he lit the fire with his cry. How had he done this? How had he gotten to that point? How had they ever forgiven him?

How would he ever forgive himself?

He stayed in the cave for two days, grieving his actions, processing everything he'd done, and he sent his hawk out both days for letters. Both days, the bird returned weighed down with Konoha news. And Sasuke found himself able to leave and step into the sunshine once again.

Fear followed only a few months later. It had been so long since he'd been afraid. He hadn't cared if he'd died, not really, not since Itachi. He could remember a couple of moments fighting Madara – when Naruto had been at risk, if only for a heartbeat, but even that – even that was so confused and mixed in with pain and anger and even logic that he couldn't really count it as true fear.

This time, fear started slowly, as a nagging worry in the back of his mind. Usually, he sent for news from Konoha every three days. That meant about four or five letters would come back; one per day from Sakura, one from Naruto, and occasionally one from Kakashi. For the last two deliveries, he had…two letters. Both from Naruto. Neither of which mentioned Sakura at all.

By the time the third delivery yielded nothing, marking nine days since he'd last heard from her, and Naruto's letters seemed almost deliberately focused on the work going on in Konoha to the absolute exclusion of anything regarding Sakura and Kakashi, Sasuke was officially afraid. He was struggling to sleep, to focus on anything else, except knowing she was alright. Naruto – Sakura – Kakashi – if he lost them, if they were gone, he wouldn't have anything left at all.

He wrote to Kakashi this time, explaining he hadn't heard from her. By the time Kakashi's reply came, he was barely half a day from Konoha – and, well, he might as well finish the trip and make sure she recovered from her illness properly.

Anger followed hot on the heels of fear. When Sakura had finally fallen back asleep, he grabbed Naruto's arm and left Sakura with Kakashi, who had a knowing look in his eye and an all-too confident jaunt in his step as Sasuke left.

"Sasuke – what the fuck? What's gotten into you?!" Naruto demanded, yanking his wrist away and rubbing at the spot. Sasuke wasn't bothered by the fingerprints left behind – they'd be healed by the time the conversation ended.

"What," he hissed, "has gotten into _you?! _You know that Sakura won't watch out for herself! You know she won't even – won't even _sleep _if there's someone who needs her help! She's spent her entire fucking life watching out for you – and you can't even bother to check on her?! I noticed, Naruto! I noticed something wasn't right, and I don't even live here!"

Naruto flinched, looking appropriately abashed, but only for a minute. "Yeah, _okay_, asshole, I should've checked on her – but it's not like you're one to talk. You're off doing your own thing on your own time. I'm barely ever around anymore, and it's on the village's schedule, not mine. It sucks. I see Sakura like, once a week, unless I run into her at the hospital or in the tower. She's an adult, you know, and she can handle herself just fine."

Sasuke glowered at him, exhaling a hot breath through his nose, slow as he could manage. "Moron – that's not – that's not even the point!"

Naruto rolled his eyes and flung his hands in the air. "Then what _is_ the point, asshole? Because I'm clearly not getting it!"

"You never get it," Sasuke muttered, feeling some of the anger leave him. He could admit some of it might have been a little misplaced. Just like with joy – with sorrow – anger had hit him like a truck, and it had overflowed on Naruto for lack of anywhere else to go. "The point," he said, making an effort to calm himself down even more, "is that we're – a team. And we're supposed to take care of each other."

"Yeah, I think I know that, Sasuke," Naruto said quietly. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked away. "I'll try to check on her more often. But she's not helpless. Don't treat her like she is."

Sasuke felt himself flinch back. "I know. You did fine without me before."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Not what I meant, asshole. Yeah, we survive without you, but you're a part of us. Don't use this as an excuse to run away, either."

Sasuke aimed a half-hearted fireball at him that flickered out before it even reached him. "I fucked up before," he admitted, so quietly he wasn't sure his friend could even hear him, "when I was a part of this team. I don't want to do it again."

"You won't. If this proves anything, it proves that." Naruto looked at him, and there was that fierceness in his eyes that he'd had every time he'd called Sasuke home, every time he'd explained what it meant to be Hokage, every time he'd made a promise.

And Sasuke relaxed.

"And you can always come back, you know."

This time it was Sasuke's turn to shift away. "I…can't. Not yet. I'm not…ready. I still don't…know exactly how I feel."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I figured." He ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "But we'll always be ready for you to come back, ya know!"

Sasuke didn't have anything to say to that, but Naruto seemed to understand. He grinned, anyways, and his eyes were lighter again. "See ya next time one of us gets sick then?"

Sasuke flushed. "Not if you do what you're supposed to do, moron."

"I never do what I'm supposed to do, asshole. You know that."

And Sasuke did know, because otherwise, he'd certainly be dead. He didn't have words for that either, so instead he turned around and started to walk away. They were fine. Stupid, but fine. All of them.

"Hey – Sasuke!"

He paused.

"We're looking out for you too, you know. So keep sending those letters, unless you want _us_ chasing _you _down!"

He laughed – and sped away before he could see if Naruto heard.

His emotions weren't all back, yet. Not exactly. But he was starting to have the basics down. This time, joy hadn't overwhelmed him. He hoped that sadness and anger wouldn't next time, either. And fear – fear could maybe, just maybe, be ignored – as long as trust was there.

And Team Seven had always had his trust.

_A/N: Okay, so this was inspired, somewhat, by a line in a blog. (The blog in question is _Hyperbole and a Half_ by Allie Brosh, and the post in question is "Depression: Part Two". I highly recommend checking out her work. She has a book out, too, for those of you interested. Most of it is comedic; this post, however, is not. Please be aware of your own mindset when reading.) The line referred to emotions returning after a period of depression asymmetrically and inconveniently, and while I'm not convinced Sasuke was truly depressed, I think it's reasonable that he may have gone through something like this._

_Additionally, this just kind of – took on a life of its own. I really intended kind of a poetic piece where Sasuke has to deal with four basic emotions (joy, sorrow, fear, and anger) as he experiences them for the first time after the War. But he and Naruto wouldn't stop talking. So, this happened. Please, let me know what you think! Reviews are what keep me going! _

_-MN_


	12. Inheritance

**Inheritance**

_A/N: Alright, y'all, I wasn't planning on posting until this weekend – but a review made me happy, so here you go! This is more or less a series of moments that take place throughout the series. Please enjoy! _

The first time Sasuke realized the Sharingan wasn't the only thing he'd inherited from the Uchiha, he was incredibly frustrated because he'd only just awakened his Sharingan, and he wasn't actually prepared to die just yet. But there he was, in the circle of mirrors, taking the attack for his idiotic blond teammate. He saw Naruto standing there, vulnerable, saw Haku raise his hand, knew how the needles would fly – and then he was just there, a human shield, not caring about anything else except that his teammate survived. When Naruto yelled, he didn't have an answer. Protecting his teammate had been entirely outside of his control. It had been as instinctive to him as breathing.

When Sasuke looked back on his life, he knew it had started there. The Sharingan and the need to protect. From all he knew of the Uchiha, one was as natural and genetic as the other. Both birthrights, born in pain.

The second time it overtook him, he was barely awake in the Forest of Death. He woke up, propelled by the strength of the curse mark, ready to destroy, to kill, to wreak havoc upon anyone he pleased…and he saw Sakura. Instead of simply rampaging through whatever and whoever was before him, instead of testing out this newfound power, he turned it with a fury on those who had hurt her. And then, when it frightened her, he quieted it. He endured the pain, shut down the curse, to stop her fear, at whatever cost.

In that moment, as he fell to his knees again, he came into his inheritance. He bore the hatred in the curse mark, the Sharingan in his eyes, and the protective instincts in his blood.

It was after the Chunin Exams that he fully embraced it. He found himself willing to risk everything. He stood, pushed to his breaking point, curse beyond his control, in front of Sakura and Naruto. He shouted at Naruto take Sakura and _go_, to make sure she was safe no matter what. He knew he'd lose. He knew he wasn't able to confront Gaara, not as worn out as he already was. But it didn't matter. It didn't matter if he got his revenge. It didn't matter if he died right there. Nothing mattered except that Naruto and Sakura were safely back in Konoha. It was all that was important. It was the only thing that was important.

Sasuke hadn't understood as a child, but as an adult, he knew. When he prepared to die for them, the shadows of the Uchiha stood tall behind him. Even Madara and Obito had been driven to protect those they loved – as driven as Itachi, as driven as Sasuke – but they had failed. Sasuke would not.

When he heard Itachi was hunting Naruto, his panic overwhelmed him. He ran to find him, not thinking, not worrying about consequences, not considering that his brother had slaughtered their entire clan in a single night and he was still unprepared. All he could think about was getting to his friend first – making sure Itachi could not take yet another person from him.

The outcome was a turning point, when he decided to embrace only the Sharingan and leave protection behind, a remnant of a failed past. From then on, he attacked instead of defended. He lashed out again and again – and yet, he could not kill them. Something flickered in the back of his mind, and although he wouldn't quite let himself latch onto the thought, he knew he was holding himself back.

The moment he joined them on the frontlines of the War, it became undeniable.

As he raced to the frontlines, he reached out, stretching his chakra as far as he could, searching for what was happening. He couldn't sense the enemy's chakra, exactly, but he could _feel _it. It thrummed, deep and hungry, against his soul, wild and fierce and ravenous and focused. Focused on the chakra he _could_ sense, the chakra he could feel no matter what: Sakura and Naruto.

When he landed, it was automatic. He couldn't have done any different. He told himself it was a strategic decision; closer to the frontlines, he'd be able to see the Ten-Tails and begin to understand what they were up against. In reality, he did what he had to do, what his blood and soul were telling him to do. He put himself between Team Seven and the threat.

He was aware that logically, he should have been more careful. Even if he wanted a good look at the Ten-Tails, he should've landed off to the side, away from the Konoha ninja who were just as likely to attack him as they were to accept his aid. Instead, he'd landed in front of his teammates – trusting that if anyone were to move on him, Naruto would stop them, that Sakura would warn him, that they themselves would not lay a hand on him.

He trusted them to protect him too, in spite of everything. Part of him wondered if he always had.

When Naruto somersaulted through the air, vulnerable to the Jinchūriki's attack, Sasuke lashed out with Susanoo to deflect it. He shouted defiantly that he and only he would kill Naruto – as if he'd had a chance to even consider that.

When Madara cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he dove to earth, heedless of Naruto's attacks, because it was okay if he got hit but it was not okay if they were lost.

When he swooped with his hawk to grab Naruto, he left Kakashi and Sakura to fend for themselves – but he _knew_ that they would, knew it was surely as he knew that if Naruto fell, not only was the world lost, but he was lost, too.

When he displaced Sakura's vest, he could have let her fall. He should have let her fall – the impact might have jolted her back to a greater awareness and out of her chakra exhaustion. Instead, he sidestepped ever so slightly and caught her, supporting her until she was ready to stand on her own again.

He didn't know how not to protect them. It was reflexive, natural. As much a part of him as his heartbeat.

When finally he came to his senses, let Naruto win, and went on his journey, he at long last came to terms with it. Sasuke had worn many titles. He had been an avenger. He was a wielder of the Sharingan. He was a protector. He was a member of Team Seven. And now, he understood. He embraced his inheritance.

He was the last Uchiha, and he would be damned if anyone else would be taken from him.

_A/N: To the very kind guest who called this story "underrated", thank you! I'd like to think so! This collection is primarily a personal indulgence. It is a little easier than my original pieces, and it allows me to dive deep into characters and see what I can create with them – while staying true to canon. It's a challenge, and it brings me joy. If it brings you joy, too, please, let me know! It truly means a lot to me._

_I also am curious. Is this collection becoming too focused on Sasuke? His character is so complex that it inspires me most often. Should I push it more and focus a bit on the others? I have a few ideas, but I haven't developed them yet. Let me know!_

_-MN _


	13. Close Enough

**Close Enough**

_A/N: This takes place while Sasuke is traveling, when Naruto becomes Hokage. I'm a little blurry on this part of the timeline, so if I took liberties without knowing it, please let me know. Content warning for some profanity. Enjoy!_

Sasuke hadn't anticipated showing himself. In fact, he'd been quite content with his plan to barely let them know he was there at all. Naruto's inauguration was a night of celebration for the whole village, and Sasuke had no intention of sitting through the speeches or partying afterwards. He'd intended to settle in for the night just outside the village, just close enough for his chakra to brush against Naruto's. Only enough so that Naruto could let himself relax and let Sasuke protect Konoha for the night, so that he would let go a bit and enjoy himself. He'd earned it. Sasuke had let his hawk drop down a solitary note into Sakura's hands too, so that she would be happy and know he hadn't forgotten, just like when Naruto and Hinata had married. (_About damn time_, was all the note said, but Sasuke hadn't been able to think of anything more fitting.)

Too many people already knew he was there anyways. Sasuke had heard about the disastrous wedding gift competition for Naruto's wedding and how Gaara had had to swoop in to save the day. He had no intention of letting that happen again, so he'd gone to se Kakashi earlier.

It hadn't gone quite as planned. The man had been grateful for Sasuke's help, but he had refused to yield on two points.

"I'll keep four Anbu stationed on the perimeters. At the very least, they can raise the alarm if something happens. You can't be everywhere at once, Sasuke. This particular Anbu team's duty is to guard the Hokage. It would be unkind to take them off duty on his inauguration night," he had said.

And that would have alright, and Sasuke had already turned to go, but –

"And I'll need to tell Shikamaru."

_That_ had not been alright. They had argued. Sasuke, frustrated at Kakashi's protests that Nara would never be satisfied with substandard protection, had demanded to know why Kakashi had to explain himself. He was the Hokage, after all, and no one had questioned the previous Hokage's decisions, which had most certainly been questionable.

"I'm not the previous Hokage," Kakashi had said, with a touch of steel in his voice. "As you well know. In addition, I am the _retired_ Hokage, as of tonight, and Shikamaru is my assistant who is _not_ retiring. You'd do well to accept the man, Sasuke. He's one of Naruto's strongest supporters."

Sasuke had stalked out, no more words left to spend. He was barely comfortable with his decisions being Team Seven's business; to have them extended to a ninja he hardly knew left him ruffled and uncomfortable.

And now he was standing behind his friend who had somehow managed to escape his own celebration to come and (pointlessly, as far as Sasuke was concerned) stand on top of the Fourth Hokage's head.

"Moron."

Naruto turned just enough to flash him a brilliant grin. "Hey, asshole. Thanks for being here. It's good to know you're around, watching out."

"Hm." Sasuke stepped forward to stand beside him. "Which is why you should be down there celebrating."

"Yeah." Naruto sighed. "I just…" He waved his hands down at Konoha. "I don't know."

Sasuke waited. He knew from experience that it wouldn't take long for Naruto start saying whatever popped into his head, and what was bothering him was bound to come out then…

"It's just – I didn't get here by myself, ya know? I couldn't do it alone. My mom and my dad, and Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei and Pervy Sage and Granny Tsunade and Sakura-chan and Itachi and even – even you," he laughed.

Sasuke tensed slightly at the mention of his brother's name, but really, if anyone had the right to speak of him, it had to be Naruto, to whom Itachi had entrusted Sasuke, what he'd loved the most… He exhaled slowly, forcing himself to relax, keeping his chakra spread and tense at the edges. Naruto's crisis notwithstanding, he would not let his guard down and leave the village open to attack.

"Don't worry," Naruto said, watching him carefully. "Kurama and I are paying attention, too."

"You'd miss something," Sasuke mumbled, "loser."

"Hey, fuck you. I knew you were here, didn't I?"

"Moron, that's because I let you. Keep talking. You have plenty of support. That's a good thing."

Naruto looked back down, shifting his heels against the stone. "Yeah, I know that, ass," he said, and his voice was so soft that Sasuke had to strain to hear it. "That's the thing. What if I fuck it up? What if I let them down? I said…I said I wanted to surpass all the previous Hokage, and I do, but…they all screwed things up, too. And you suffered for it."

Sasuke stiffened. "So did you."

Naruto shook his head. "I'm fine, though. Not the point. I don't know how to navigate the clans. I don't know half the shit I'm supposed to know and what if I fuck it up?"

"You will."

He jumped. "What?! Sasuke – that's not – damnit!"

Sasuke raised his eyebrows, amused. "Of course you'll fuck it up. Everyone fucks it up. But you're not alone, Naruto. You didn't get here alone, and you won't be here alone."

"Yeah, I guess." He sighed again. "I wish you'd come back."

Sasuke turned away. "Letters are fine, moron."

"But you said emergencies only and what if I need advice about something happening with a clan –"

"Now you decide to listen to me about emergencies only?" Sasuke couldn't help himself; he smiled. "You never have before. And for the record, Naruto…" He paused, making sure his old teammate was looking at him and paying attention. "I would absolutely consider a major clan problem to be an emergency."

"I…yeah. Thanks, Sasuke."

"Naruto?"

Sasuke turned towards the voice, just enough to make sure Nara knew who was there. He had sensed his approach – and he was sure Naruto had too – but it didn't hurt to see his expressions, either.

"Hey, Shikamaru." Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry. I guess I got a little…"

"Emotional?" Sasuke offered.

"Hey – no, fuck you! I was just – contemplating my responsibilities."

"Uh-huh." Shikamaru looked vaguely amused, but he hadn't taken his eyes off Sasuke. "Enough contemplating for tonight? Believe me, I'll have plenty of work for you to do tomorrow. If you work harder than Kakashi, this might even make my job easier."

Naruto groaned. Sasuke smirked.

"Can't we like – ease into this Hokage thing?" his friend whimpered.

Shikamaru smiled. "Nope. Come on, man. Kiba and Konohamaru are about two minutes away from actually starting a fight over who'll be next Hokage."

"Konohamaru," Naruto laughed, "no question."

"…We'll practice your diplomatic responses on the way." Nara's eyes flickered back to Sasuke. "You good here?"

Sasuke wasn't sure if he had imagined the sliver of ice in the question. "Yes."

"See ya later, Sasuke." Naruto slapped him on the shoulder, and Sasuke scowled. "You should stop by to see Sakura before you go."

"Perhaps."

Sasuke stayed there long after Naruto had returned to the party. He heard Itachi's advice to Naruto echo in his head, that he should never to try to shoulder everything alone. It was good the blonde was listening.

And he could be a part of that, too. If Naruto needed him.

For the first six months of Naruto's time as Hokage, Sasuke was never more than a day away. It wasn't a return, not really, but it was…close. Close enough.

Close enough to see Sakura off on her missions or drop groceries at her house after a long week at the hospital.

Close enough to surprise Kakashi and spar with him from time to time, keeping the older ninja on his toes and digging deeper into Chidori's essence.

Close enough to answer all of Naruto's letters in person.

Sasuke had never been a person that was inclined to be near others. He wasn't communal. He wasn't social. Repentance and his journey had never changed those things.

But around them, if they needed him, he could be close enough.

_A/N: I love Shikamaru, okay? Can't help myself sometimes. I hope you guys enjoyed it too. If you have time, please let me know! Reviews mean a lot to me. If you have ideas for other one-shots, I am very open to hearing them! Otherwise, I'll wait for inspiration to strike. See you next time._

_-MN_


	14. Eternal

**Eternal**

_A/N: Alright, y'all, this one was a project. It was challenging, and it is different than everything else I've put here so far. And longer. Yikes. All of the moments in this addition span from Sasuke's departure from Konoha to his loss to Naruto in the canyon after the War. However, they are not necessarily in chronological order. Please, enjoy! _

**[love is patient]**

"_Rasengan!"_

The clones that covered the clearing shouted, sometimes in unison, sometimes in disjointed, confused chaos, as they struggled towards victory. Naruto, exhausted, panting, collapsed in the middle. A few clones disappeared.

As Sakura watched, he took a deep breath, sat up, recreated them, and raised himself to a crouch, focusing hard on the swirling energy in his hands. "He's been at it for days," she said softly.

Sai stepped out of the shadows. "He must desperately want to defeat the Akatsuki."

"Of course," she said, "of course he does. But that's not what this is about."

She felt Sai's eyes on her, felt Kakashi's slide to their spot in the woods from where he stood near Naruto. "What is it about, then?" the pale boy asked.

"What it's always about." She set down the basket she'd come to deliver and turned to leave. "What it will always be about, until he succeeds or dies. It's about bringing Sasuke home."

**[love is kind]**

Sakura had always felt guilty for the promise she'd extracted from Naruto. She'd failed to do anything worthwhile, had instead thrown the responsibility on her best friend, and he'd suffered for it ever since.

It was one of the reasons she fought daily to become stronger. She would not fail again, and she knew – knew in her heart, knew in the soreness of her muscles, that she was succeeding.

But one night each year, it wasn't enough.

On the anniversary of Sasuke's defection, she found herself sitting on the same bench where he'd left her. She replayed the night's events in her mind, and she wept. She grieved for his pain, for her inability to stop him, for the inadequacy of her love, for all he must be enduring away from them. She grieved, and she slept on the bench, waking just before dawn to go about her day as if nothing had happened.

The fourth year, she went down, prepared for her solitary vigil, only to find she wasn't as alone as she'd expected. Naruto sat there, cross-legged on the bench, a boxed meal in hand and another beside him. "Hey, Sakura-chan!" he said with a smile.

"N-Naruto? What are you doing here?"

The smile faded. "Sitting with you." He pushed the meal towards her. "Eat."

She hesitated. "Naruto, this isn't…"

"Yeah, I know." His eyes were still and serious. "I know, Sakura. But you don't have to be alone for it."

His kindness pierced to her soul. The tears started early that night, but they stung just a little less.

**[it does not envy]**

It hurt, sometimes, to be the only member of Team Seven left in Konoha.

Ino invited her out often with Shikamaru and Choji, and Lee had made it clear that she was always welcome with him, Tenten, and Neji. Hinata checked in on her regularly, and she had to admit, there was nothing like an evening watching Shino tease Kiba into a frenzy to take her mind off things.

But sometimes, she couldn't accept. Sometimes, it hurt to see them, surrounded by their boys, loved and supported while loving and supporting. Sometimes, it forced her to admit that there were moments she couldn't quite remember the angle of Sasuke's jaw or the rough sound of Naruto's laugh. Sometimes, it hurt too much to feel her isolation.

Once, it was too much, and she left the party early. Ino followed her out. "Hey, Billboard-Brow! What's wrong with you tonight?" the blonde demanded, hands on her hips.

Sakura turned with pained eyes and admitted, "I miss them."

Ino's face softened, her hands falling to her sides. "Yeah, you got kinda rotten luck for a team, huh? Guess you wish you ended up like us."

Her temper flared. "No!" She clenched her fists because how Ino could be so stupid, she didn't know. "Team Seven is my team! They are _mine! _They are family! They are home! And I will always be glad I get to be a part of them! I'm not jealous of you, Ino-Pig!"

And Ino sparked back to life and fought with her, and Sakura turned to leave.

She wasn't jealous of the other teams. But that didn't mean she couldn't miss her own with all her heart.

**[it does not boast]**

"You did an amazing job with them, you know."

Kakashi glanced up from his book, barely meeting Tenzo's eyes. "If that were true, things would look very different right now," he said mildly, "and I don't think you or Sai would be in a position to comment on it."

Tenzo shrugged. "Be that as it may, I don't think you understand the level of loyalty you've inspired in your students, both to you and to each other."

Kakashi resisted the urge to walk away because of all people, the former ANBU should know failure when he saw it. "Then I can only hope that loyalty doesn't damage them in the future."

Tenzo reached out and gripped his shoulder, forcing Kakashi to lower the book and look him in the eye. "Kakashi. Very few teams achieve the level that yours has. And if anyone can undo the damage that has been done in the past, it must be Naruto."

"I…" he paused. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Tenzo let go of him and they continued walking. "So, how do you get Naruto to focus, anyways?"

**[it is not proud]**

"You've made good progress." Kakashi stood, hands in his pockets, looking down at his exhausted student. Naruto looked half alive. His chest heaved with each breath he took, and his eyes were partially closed.

Still, he hauled himself upright, slouched over, still panting. "Thanks, Kakashi-sensei," he gasped.

"Time to sleep. You've done enough for today," Kakashi said firmly.

"No. I gotta…I gotta get this right." Naruto took a deep breath, exhaling out in a whoosh and standing straight again. "Sasuke's training, so I have to be training too."

"Naruto, you've worked hard, and you're doing very well. Sleep is important too."

"Not more important." His eyes were hard. "Sensei, I've never managed to learn anything on my own. I always need you, or Pervy Sage, or Captain Yamato. I'm not like Sasuke. I have to work twice as hard as he does to figure this stuff out."

Kakashi sighed. "That may be true, but that's also exactly why you shouldn't work yourself to death trying. Get some sleep, Naruto." He put a hand on his exhausted student's drooping head. "Sasuke will still be here in the morning."

**[it does not dishonor others]**

"They – how _could _they?!" Naruto's fists flew, and the tree in front of him shuddered from the impact. "Kakashi-sensei – they – they just – I can't believe - it's so fucking _wrong!"_

Kakashi had little to offer him in the light of Konoha's betrayal of the Uchiha clan. Of Itachi. Of Sasuke. "I know, Naruto. They made a mistake."

"They let fear control them, Sensei." Blue eyes flashed so hot and bright that Kakashi wondered if the Nine-Tails chakra had started to leak into Naruto's soul again. "I can't believe they –" He spun around again and slammed his hands into the tree, bark splintering as chakra whirled. "We're supposed to be better than that." His fingers slid down the wood, and he leaned his forehead against it. "How was Itachi the most honorable of them all?"

Kakashi hesitated. "Naruto, be careful. It's good to honor Itachi. Good to grieve for him, even. But don't make the mistake of thinking that all of Konoha stood with Danzo. So few people even knew."

"Yeah." Naruto's fingers clenched again, scraping small splinters away. "We need to be better."

Kakashi gently gripped his neck and shoulder and pulled him closer. "Yes," he whispered to his wounded student, an apology that was far too small, "yes, we do."

**[it is not self-seeking]**

Sakura wasn't sure when her love for Sasuke had stopped including her. She thought that maybe it could have happened there, on the bridge, with Haku, when she thought he'd died. She ran to him, devastated and terrified, and at first, she prayed her love would bring him back. Then she prayed that _any _love would bring him back, even if it meant he hated her forever and married Ino – as long as he was alive.

Then again, it could have been after the Forest of Death, when they had been about to start the one-on-one eliminations for the Chunin Exams. She was prepared to raise her hand, make him quit, even though she knew he would hate her for it. She knew they might lose all the camaraderie she'd so carefully built, all the trust he'd been so reluctant to give – but it didn't matter. Her pain was nothing in comparison to his life.

When she met him on the road leading out of the village, she knew the outcome. Part of her clung to hope, but she knew. She poured her heart out anyways, prepared for the humiliation, the loss, the pain. She offered to leave her home. Anything, anything, to stop him from being alone.

When he struck her through the heart with his genjutsu, leaving her with Kakashi to chase after Naruto, she had only a moment to grieve him. Again, her love was too little for him but far too big for her to set down and abandon.

Sakura wasn't sure when her happy endings had ceased to include her, but she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt – if he was alive and well, then she would be, too.

**[it is not easily angered]**

It was dark when Iruka found him, sitting alone on the swing. He sighed. He should have known this would be the right place. Kakashi and Sakura were still searching the village, but they hadn't known him like this.

"Hey, Naruto," he said softly, coming up beside him.

The boy looked up, eyes bright and pained. "Hey, Iruka-sensei."

"I heard about what happened with Sasuke. I'm sorry. I know he was your friend."

Naruto shook his head violently. "He _is _my friend. No one understands that, except Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan. Everyone's so angry. And I get it. He's done bad things. But…"

"But?" Iruka prompted gently.

"But it…just shows how much pain he's in. And it…hurts." Naruto touched his jacket, right above his heart. "How can I be angry when he's suffering like this? I'm sad for him. I'm angry that he'd take it out on us, but…he doesn't know how to deal with the pain. And he's all alone. I know what that's like, Iruka-sensei. I was all alone before you."

Iruka's heart crumbled, and he put his hand on Naruto's neck. "You aren't alone now."

"I know. I won't let Sasuke be, either."

He knew it was wiser to argue, to point out the fallacy in his logic, that if someone wanted to be alone, there was no stopping them. Instead, he simply said, "Ramen? Two toppings."

His student perked up immediately. "Ichiraku's is still open? Al_right!"_

**[it keeps no record of wrongs]**

"He tried to kill you!"

"I know that."

"Multiple times!"

"Oh…I suppose."

"What do you mean, you suppose?! What kind of crap answer is that?!"

Sakura slammed her book down. "It _means_, Ino-Pig, that I don't have _time _for this! I'm well aware of who Sasuke is and what he's done! It doesn't change anything!"

Ino pulled back, brow furrowed. "Then you should _know! _Nothing says 'I'm not into you' like a Chidori to the chest!"

Sakura's heart burned. "It's not about me, Ino. He's in pain. It's not about what he's _done. _It's about who he _is_. Just because he's forgotten – well, Naruto and I haven't, okay? So can you just go away and let me work!"

Her friend poked her harshly on the arm. "I'm just looking out for you, Billboard-Brow. But if you wanna keep pining away for something that'll never happened – and that'll get you killed – don't come crawling to me!"

She stalked out of the room, with Sakura shouting at her back, "Can't really do that if I'm _dead_ now, can I?"

**[love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth]**

Naruto's words rang in Sasuke's ears, night after night after night. _"Because I'm your friend!"_

Friend. He didn't even know what that meant, anymore. Naruto was so – stupid. An idiot. A stubborn fool who would eventually die, by Sasuke's own hand, because he hadn't been smart enough to walk away after their fight at the canyon, like any rational person would have.

And they were _not _friends.

Sasuke sent his blade curving through the air, slicing the tree in its path, reducing it to splinters and sap. He was so tired, but he couldn't sleep. Not tonight, on the anniversary of their battle, when his teammate's words echoed so loudly in his heart that everything else was drowned out.

Any sane person would have abandoned Sasuke by now. He knew that. And he and Naruto had never been friends – had never –

Except…they had. It was in the past now, but – but maybe that didn't make it any less true. For the past.

Sasuke swirled again, nearly cutting down a squirrel who had had the misfortune to cross his path. It squeaked with alarm and lost some fur, but Sasuke let it survive the encounter and make its escape.

Fine. Friends, then. Enemies, now.

Maybe now he could get some sleep.

**[it always protects]**

Protecting them was instinctive. It was as easy as Chidori, as inherent as the Sharingan. Deflecting the attacks from the Ten-Tails, coating Naruto and Kurama in Susanoo – it simply made sense. Protecting them was as natural as breathing, and Sasuke couldn't have stopped if he'd tried, not now that they were there, behind him, depending on him.

Naruto's desire to save everyone – save them _all _– baffled him, but he let it happen. He let Naruto cloak him in chakra and remove him to safety, along with everyone else who stood vulnerable.

Moron. It would've made better sense to relocate only those absolutely necessary to the battle.

But when the next attack came Naruto's way, Sasuke moved anyways.

**[always trusts]**

The teamwork between them was seamless. It was as perfect as it had always been – more so, now that they had both mastered their jutsus.

When Sasuke shot Amateratsu from Susanoo, he didn't question if Naruto could amplify it. He simply knew that he would. He didn't have to think about the chakra required; he knew what their balance was, knew it as surely as he'd known that the balance still existed, even after years apart, years as enemies.

Not that Naruto had ever seen it that way.

They landed and fought back to back. Sasuke let himself be vulnerable – but only to them, to Team Seven, to those he knew would not harm him.

It was a tactical vulnerability, for all of them.

But from the time he'd been assigned to them, it had been far too late to change it anyways.

**[always hopes]**

Sakura was so tired.

Her chakra was nearly exhausted. Her mind was worn out. Her body was drained. And here was Sasuke, challenging Naruto, putting the Tailed Beasts to sleep with a look – walking away from her again.

Part of her knew it was futile. Just like it had been before.

The rest of her didn't care. The rest of her believed in him, knew who he was better than he did, knew that his love for them ran deeper than his pain and fear, knew that he would someday come back to them – because there was no other option.

There couldn't be.

When he struck her through the heart with his genjutsu, she closed her eyes, knowing and praying and hoping that when she opened them, he would be home again.

**[always perseveres]**

Naruto rallied at the canyon. He pushed away the part of him that was exhausted, the part that had already spent so much fighting Obito and Madara and Kaguya. None of that mattered.

The only thing that mattered was bringing Sasuke home.

He listened to his friend, as he explained, as he described the revolution he so desperately craved, the only answer he had to Itachi's death – and Naruto's heart _ached. _

"I won't let you be alone," he said, and he meant it. He'd always meant it. He'd meant it in their first fight. Nothing had ever been able to change his mind. Not even Sasuke.

When Sasuke charged, his anger and determination clear in his mismatched eyes, Naruto answered in kind because there was no other option. Because giving up was unthinkable.

Sasuke was his friend, damnit, and he was coming home.

**[love never fails]**

At the end of it all, with the world still suspended in a genjutsu so vast it had even stilled the birds, Kakashi didn't know how he'd expected anything different.

He stared down at his students in both disbelief and joy. Naruto laughed out loud, Sasuke smiled, and Sakura's healing chakra enveloped both of them in a sudden burst of protective love.

He'd barely dared let himself hope for this outcome, after Sasuke had left. Now, watching them, he couldn't imagine why he had doubted.

As if Sasuke's hate had ever been enough to counter Naruto's and Sakura's stubborn bond with him. As if there had ever been another choice, once Naruto had promised to bring him home.

Kakashi smiled, pulling on his headband. "He's really back," he said to himself.

As if Team Seven would have ever failed.

_A/N: The sections are divided by 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a, a famous love passage. Okay, those of you who made it this far, congratulations! That was…yeah, that was a lot. I worked so hard on this, y'all. Did it pay off? Please, give me any feedback you have. Did you love it? Was it worth the work? Did you hate it? Should I stay away from this kind of thing in the future? Tell me how you'd like to see this collection continue._

_Thanks for all the support! It really does mean a lot to me, and I'll try to live up to expectations._

_-MN _


	15. Mercy

_A/N: First of a two-parter! Takes place during Sasuke's travels after the War. Please enjoy!_

**Mercy**

As a rule, Sasuke tried to stay away from the ninja villages that weren't Konoha. Pardoned he may be, but he was quite sure that half of his own village hadn't been happy about it (okay, maybe more than half), and he was positive that the other villages had only accepted for Naruto's sake. He was particularly keen to avoid the Raikage. The man wasn't likely to forget or forgive Sasuke's assault on his brother, war hero or not.

Which was why he was caught off guard the first time he realized he needed help and was too far away from Konoha to get it. He was in the Land of Wind, about a day's travel from Suna, but two days minimum from Sakura's aid. With a poison in his body that he was pretty sure would take him out for good in maybe a day and a half.

He debated simply rushing to Konoha as quickly as he could and hoping that after he collapsed, or maybe before, he'd run into some familiar ninja who would get him the rest of the way. In the end, he decided it was too big a risk. It was two days minimum running, and the slow-acting paralytic had him far from at his best.

That left throwing himself at the Kazekage's mercy. He didn't particularly like that option, either. The last time he'd been really up close and personal with Gaara, he'd been a boy, and it had been a fight to the death. He knew things had changed since then, for both of them. He knew Naruto considered the man a friend – but then, Naruto considered just about everyone a friend, so Sasuke wasn't sure how deep that bond actually went.

But he had little choice.

He wrote a letter, short, succinct, explaining his situation and sent it to Konoha, urging his hawk to fly with all its speed. He'd addressed it to all three of them; whoever the bird found first would suffice.

Then he turned to Suna, praying his teammates would come through for him again.

When he reached the gates of the Sand Village, he was stumbling. He'd underestimated the speed of the poison, and before he could even call out to the guards, he fell, tumbling down, unable to raise his arms to support himself.

He landed on warm sand that had more give than he'd expected, and he felt it lift him up. He opened his eyes enough to catch a glimpse of a pale face under red hair, a shock of blond ponytails from behind a fan, and the carefully guarded expression of Shikamaru Nara.

Of all the Konoha ninja to be in Suna…

He didn't remember anything else.

He woke up in a hospital, and it took him a moment of panic to realize it wasn't Konoha but it was still safe. He opened his eyes to see, again, red hair and a pale face. Alone, this time.

Sasuke hoped that was a good sign. He cleared his throat. It felt coated with sand, and he wondered wildly if he'd swallowed some when Gaara had carried him. He wasn't even sure how to address the man standing calmly at the window. His name seemed too casual; Kazekage-sama seemed too formal, especially given that Sasuke wasn't inclined to address even Kakashi with that level of respect.

Before he reached a decision, Gaara spoke. "Hello, Sasuke. Welcome to Suna."

He supposed that set the stage for formality. "Gaara. Thank you for receiving me."

Gaara turned away from the window to face him fully, arms crossed, face serious and unreadable. "You owe your gratitude to Naruto. Shortly before your arrival, we received an impassioned letter explaining your situation, as well as a list of the best antidotes for the most common paralytic poisons and how to make them from Sakura."

So they had come through for him, again. Sasuke wasn't sure how he could have expected anything less.

"How long?" he asked. His voice was still rough and scratchy, and talking hurt.

Gaara looked back out the window, gripping the sill. "You have been out for two days. Our medics estimate another full week before you are back to full strength. You are welcome to stay in Suna for that time. Naruto has offered to be your escort, should I send for him."

Sasuke was a bit surprised that the blond wasn't already here.

"He would have been here already," Gaara said, as if reading his mind, "if Kakashi hadn't insisted that be a decision left to me. I am happy to send for him, should you choose."

"And if I don't?"

Gaara turned his head so that their eyes locked. His gaze was cool, calculating. "Then I am pleased to offer my sister Temari's services, as well as Shikamaru's, as guides to our village."

There it was. He would not be allowed around unsupervised. Sasuke had had enough of being watched, followed, feared. "I do not need the full week. I will leave tomorrow morning."

Gaara's gaze didn't waver. "No. You will stay until you have recovered. I promised Naruto no less. I will not break my word."

Fucking – Naruto. Of course.

"Would you like me to send for him?"

If he said yes, he'd have to deal with Nara and the blond woman for only half the time. But he'd spend the other half dealing with a still far-too-hyperactive friend who surely would want to spend the whole time sparring and eating his way through Suna…

"Yes." He caught his voice in his throat. Making Naruto travel three days only to spend four with an inevitably frustrated and penned-up Sasuke – not to mention that would be leaving Konoha without either of their protection – Sasuke closed his eyes, prepared to contradict himself.

"Good. I already have. I have business with Naruto, as well. He should arrive tomorrow."

Sasuke hated politics, and he didn't appreciate the manipulation. He looked away, stiff and frustrated. "Fine, then. Why ask?"

Gaara simply tilted his head. "I was curious to see if Naruto's attachment to you is primarily one-sided. I'm glad to see it is not."

"That's none of your business," Sasuke snapped, ignoring the burn in his throat.

"A friend's wellbeing is always my business." Gaara didn't seem the least bit apologetic. "And Sasuke…" He paused, and Sasuke reluctantly turned to look him in the eye again, keeping his expression hard. "I understand better than most how Naruto can change a heart from having an evil goal to having a good one. My village decided to trust me. Yours decided to trust me. I'm choosing to trust you, too."

Sasuke frowned. "Trust doesn't require an escort."

Gaara half-smiled. "No, but elders do. However, I've put no restrictions on your travel here. Shikamaru and Temari, and tomorrow Naruto, are primarily here for your protection, should any foolish ninja forget all that we owe to Naruto…and you."

Sasuke looked away again. "I don't require protection," he said calmly, quietly, "but I understand."

"I know how slow people are to forgive, as well. But it does happen. Now sleep. I can tell your chakra levels are low. The more you rest, the faster you will heal."

Sasuke closed his eyes, listening to the man's retreat, before considering his words. _Should any foolish ninja forget all that we owe to Naruto…and you. _

So Gaara gave him credit for ending the war, too, despite his attack on Naruto afterwards, despite extending the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Gaara knew – and recognized – that the hero of Konoha could not have done it alone.

And that…was oddly comforting.

So he closed his eyes, determined to sleep through the rest of the day where he'd have to deal with Nara and the blond girl. Tomorrow, Naruto would be there and would speak for him and advocate for him and do all the things that were so idiotically Naruto that everyone somehow wound up doing exactly what he asked. He forced his mind to relax, to drift, and he slept.

The next time Sasuke woke, it was from a nightmare. Usually, after one of those dreams, he woke up screaming, weapon in hand, more than halfway to being a danger to anyone near him. Thankfully, he was always alone.

This wakeup was different. It was slow. It burned. His entire body fought against whatever held him down. Fear spiked into his throat. His eyes wouldn't open; his body wouldn't _respond _– hadn't he been better, when he'd spoken to Gaara?

Before he could truly rocket into panic, something brushed against the edges of his awareness that immediately calmed him. Chakra rebuffed his weak effort to reach out, soft but firm, unyielding. "Hey, Sasuke-kun," a familiar voice whispered. "You're alright."

"You awake, asshole?"

Sasuke felt him there, too, then, a solid, endless reservoir of mingled chakra just behind Sakura. He forced his eyes open. "What are you…doing…" His lips felt heavy and chapped.

Sakura, sitting beside his bed, explained, "I've given you a different antidote than Suna did. Instead of needing a full week to recover, you'll only need another day or so, but your body will basically be shut down for it. Please rest, Sasuke. We're here. I promise, you're safe."

"Not that Gaara would let anyone hurt you, but yeah, what she said," Naruto grumbled. "So don't be pissy. We just figured it made more sense to do it this way."

And Sasuke _was_ pissed, but he was too relieved to process the anger. He was safe. They were safe. They were _idiots_…but in a day, it wouldn't matter, and he could yell at them all he wanted.

Something else occurred to him. His hand twitched, and suddenly Sakura's fingers closed around it.

Well. That hadn't been his intention, but…he was too tired to move again.

He cleared his throat. "Kakashi…let you come?"

A strange sound seemed to catch in Sakura's throat, and she hedged, "Not exactly."

He felt his eyes sliding shut again. "Shouldn't…have."

As his world faded to blackness again, he heard Sakura's soft laugh and Naruto's words that faded into nothingness with him: "Don't be stupid, asshole," his friend said. "We'll always come for you."

_A/N: Part two is up next! I hope you enjoyed this one, but part two is my favorite. Thank you so much to everyone who responded to "Eternal"! I definitely felt like it paid off, and it really made me so happy to see you all enjoy it. I know it's been a bit longer than usual since an update, so figured it was a good time to post two in a row! Please let me know what you think!_

_-MN_


	16. Grace

_A/N: Aaaannd part two! Enjoy!_

**Grace**

Kakashi was furious.

The instant they stepped a single foot in the village – as soon as _toe _was in range – they were going to have a long and serious talk about _obedience. _About _insubordination_. About _orders_, and why they were to be _followed_.

He'd known they'd wanted to go, that Sakura and Naruto were half-packed by the time the letter from Gaara had arrived requesting Naruto's presence. He'd calmly explained that the hospital needed Sakura available, that to send more than Naruto when Shikamaru and Sasuke were already present was to trespass unnecessarily on Gaara's hospitality. And they'd _nodded. _Sakura had _agreed. _He'd thought all was well.

And then he'd gotten a furious visit from a medic demanding to know why he'd sent Sakura on a mission when he had to know that she had shifts to work at the hospital.

Kakashi figured maybe this was really his fault, when it came down to it. "Enough with the bell test," he mumbled to himself and the sky. "Genin teams need to learn some damn independence."

He'd quickly sent a letter to Shikamaru, hoping that the strategist would be able to impress the importance of their immediate return. He'd gotten back something very disappointing: _troublesome_, and then, below it, _I'll see what I can do._

It had taken him a moment to realize what was off about it, but when he'd realized – damn it all to _hell_, that was Temari's handwriting, that second part, which meant Shikamaru had no intention of rushing out.

Kakashi was starting to feel like he'd completely lost control of the situation.

And okay, _fine_, so he'd been pleasantly surprised when a couple of the younger medics had stepped up to fill Sakura's shoes and done remarkably well; and okay, so _maybe _Naruto's absence had forced him to strategize differently with the shinobi he did have and created some new team combinations that would prove quite useful – none of that had stopped from holding his breath and hoping that each crisis would be easily resolved without them and that they wouldn't cause any new crises to arise in Suna.

Damnit, he'd told them not to let their comrades die – not to rush off against orders to another village simply because they were _sick_.

And to top it all off, they'd gotten back over an hour ago – he'd heard rumors that even Sasuke was in town – and although Sakura had visited the hospital to make her apologies, none of them had so much as set a foot in Hokage Tower.

Kakashi was _pissed. _

"Going to have a talk about obedience," he said again, to nothing but the sky that was already dark as he made his quiet way home. They had to understand. Actions had consequences, and they had to trust his decisions. He didn't make them arbitrarily. And he had to be able to trust them to listen, too.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice his apartment was occupied until he was nearly a foot outside of it.

And they weren't being subtle. He could hear shouting, and it smelled like something might be burning –

Kakashi opened the door.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura and Naruto chorused, beaming. Sakura grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside, closing the door behind him. "You're finally home!"

He was pretty sure that was his line, but before he could say so –

"We thought you'd be back _ages _ago, Sensei! The food got cold and I got hungry and we had to start all over!" Naruto whined.

Kakashi let Sakura drag him over to the table. "We have to have a talk," he said, trying for anger and sternness and all the frustration that had plagued him for the last week.

"About what, Sensei?" Sakura asked.

He stared at them. Sakura stood frozen, one hand on tongs and the other on a bowl full of a salad that he was sure had more than a reasonable number of tomatoes. Naruto had also paused, and he was – to Kakashi's great amusement – wearing an apron and two oven mitts and holding something that smelled remarkably delicious and looked only a little burnt on the edges. And against the wall, Sasuke leaned, hand in his pocket, eyes calm and remarkably warm, a soft smirk on his face.

_Obedience_, his brain supplied, trying to answer Sakura's question. _Insubordination. Following orders. Trust. _

"Boundaries," he said with a sigh, admitting defeat as he slid into the chair. "We need to talk about boundaries."

Sakura laughed, and Naruto beamed, and Sasuke said, "If the food's bad, it's Naruto's fault. He added too much salt."

"Hey – asshole! You're the one who burnt it!"

"How is that my fault?"

"Oh, like you're not the fire expert here –"

"That's not on a _stove_, moron, it's completely different –"

Sakura opened the sake and poured a little more than was necessary into Kakashi's glass, catching his eye while the two bickered. "Sorry," she whispered.

He patted her hand.

Maybe the bell test could stay after all.

_A/N: I had so much fun writing this one! I hope you guys enjoyed it just as much. I also wanted to say thank you to all of you who took the time to review and respond to "Eternal"; I really, sincerely appreciated all the feedback so very much! It made my day to see it get a positive response. I hope this two-parter was worth the wait! Please let me know what you think!_

_-MN_


	17. Regret

_A/N: This takes place after the War. A look at the regrets that Team Seven has – and how they carry them. Gratefully dedicated to MCL3690 for their consistent and kind interaction with this collection. You make my day. Please enjoy!_

**Regret**

**I.**

It was the night after Sasuke returned to Konoha that she lost it. She saw Naruto's glowing confidence in Sasuke's presence and Sasuke's relaxation in his, and she realized how well and truly she'd fucked up.

She left Naruto's apartment early, let them stay and talk and argue, and slipped out the back door. She went home and poured herself a drink. She was Tsunade's student, after all, in all the ways that mattered.

She was three drinks in when they found her. Naruto knocked twice before Sasuke simply invited himself in and the blond followed, looking bemused and worried. Sasuke sat across the table from her and watched her do another shot, and she looked at him with exhaustion and guilt, and then, in the hush of the alcohol and the buzzing of the light in her kitchen that she could never quite fix, she told them the truth.

She told them how she'd doubted them – doubted them both. How she'd had nightmares for months, been confident Sasuke would kill her someday, or, worse, that she'd someday kill him, because he could no longer be saved. How she'd wept when Naruto reminded her of his promise, when he confidently instructed them all to leave Sasuke to him, how he was still their teammate – no matter what.

She wept from her shame and guilt from all that doubt, and she downed another glass before staring them in the eyes and wondering if they could ever forgive her.

Naruto and Sasuke glanced at each other, and both moved. Naruto took her bottle and swiftly dumped it down the sink. Before she could snap at him, Sasuke grabbed her wrist. "That," he said, his voice low and angry, "is the dumbest shit I've ever heard."

"Not sure you should drink, if this is what it makes you think about," Naruto said more cheerfully. "But if you do, let us be here, huh?"

She tried to speak again, but –

"I tried to kill you," Sasuke said bluntly. "I tried even harder to kill this idiot. You did the right thing. If anyone else from Konoha ever turns, I hope you do it again." He squeezed her wrist harder, forcing her to look him in the eyes. "Sakura. You did the right thing. This moron – he just got lucky with me."

"Hey!" Naruto said indignantly. "Last version I heard going around the village, I basically won the whole war singlehandedly just by talking to you. They've even forgotten I ever lost an arm, at this point."

"Proving my point about your idiocy," Sasuke muttered. His eyes didn't leave Sakura. "You did the right thing," he said again.

Her eyes filled with tears, and when she crumpled, Naruto caught her shoulders and Sasuke's hands twisted slightly, rubbing soft circles into her pulse.

"There is nothing you could do," Naruto whispered, "that is any worse than anything we've done. It's okay, Sakura."

And she didn't know when her tears turned to laughter or when they managed to move her to her bed and tuck her in, but when she woke up, Sasuke was sleeping in her arm chair and Naruto on her couch, and she knew both she and her secrets would always be safe with them.

**II.**

It was during one of Sasuke's spur of the moment visits to Konoha, after he'd overheard one of the villagers muttering about how he _must_ surely have repented if he was still allowed to walk free – it was then he realized he had to tell the truth, at least to someone.

So he waited. He waited outside Kakashi's window in Hokage Tower for Team Seven to come to him, as they knew he would, as they always did whenever he let them sense him nearby. It didn't take long. It never did.

It was there that he admitted to them, under the cool, steady moonlight and in the silence of the darkness, away from watchful eyes that Kakashi had unquestioningly banished, that he didn't regret or repent the things that Konoha thought he should.

In truth, Sasuke knew that what he'd done at the Five Kage Summit wasn't ideal, that it had been born of anger and fury. But he also knew it was anger well deserved, righteous and pure, and that the pain that had birthed it had been caused by Konoha. He didn't know how to regret killing Danzo. He couldn't regret what he'd learned from Orochimaru. There was a part of him that knew that if he hadn't left the village, he never would've reached the level needed to end the War. He had sinned, and he needed redemption – but not from what they thought.

He needed redemption for leaving Sakura with cruel words, for the kunai and the Chidori that had missed her by inches, for the genjutsu that had punished her even as he and Naruto had their final battle. He had sinned when he had attacked Kakashi, when he had thrust his hate and anger and pain onto Naruto without another thought, when he had betrayed every bit of who he was by trying to break their bond. He regretted what he'd done to those who loved him – to those he loved.

He hoped that was enough.

Naruto smiled and gripped his shoulder, eyes brilliant blue and strong. "You don't have to regret any of it," he said confidently. "None of it matters now, anyways. You don't do that kind of stuff anymore."

And Sasuke knew that, but –

Sakura reached out to gently touch his shoulder, gentle and strong. "We love you," she told him, so soft he almost missed it. "We know who you are, and we love you."

Kakashi's eyes crinkled in the corners. "Sasuke, I wouldn't go around telling the whole village. But personally, I wouldn't have expected anything else."

And Sasuke relaxed, because knowing they understood – that he wasn't, even unintentionally, betraying their trust – was somehow better. Sakura made tea, and Naruto complained to Kakashi about how come the Hokage didn't have any ramen available, and Kakashi did his best to explain that being Hokage didn't actually mean having everything he wanted at his beck and call, and Sasuke sat quietly in the windowsill and loved them as well as he could, in silence, because he couldn't take back his past, and maybe he wasn't ready for the future. So he waited until dawn and left his secrets safe with them.

**III.**

It was after they sparred that he let himself go.

They had met in a clearing only a day's travel from Konoha, at Naruto's request, and they had sparred until they could barely stand, until they had all three collapsed in the clearing at each other's backs. The rain started then. Sakura and Naruto had to return to the village, but neither of them moved.

It was there, in the quiet space created by the pouring rain, booming thunder, and the wind that ripped the leaves from the trees and rattled the bones of the dead – it was there that Naruto began to speak, and his voice was rough and low, filled with doubt and fear.

It was there that he admitted that when the older villagers called his name, he still flinched, waiting for the angry shouts or punishing hand that was sure to follow. He wondered (aloud, for the first time) if one day, he and Kurama damaged Konoha, even in protecting it, if then the hate would return, the anger would return, if he stood to lose all he had gained simply because he was who he was, and Kurama's power, however they wielded it, was pure destruction.

He wondered not if it was possible to protect the next generation but if it was probable that they would change the old.

His face was wet – with rain or tears or both, none of them knew for sure.

Overhead, a branch cracked and splintered as he finished speaking, spiraling down on them with all the force of the storm.

Naruto's chakra flared. Sakura raised her arm in defense. But it was Sasuke who deflected it as if it were nothing.

Susanoo was an overreaction, really, to only a branch. It wasn't like any of them were truly vulnerable. But the armor flowed purple around them, protection and safety, and Sasuke stared at Naruto with mismatched eyes and said, "You always have a home, moron. Village or not."

And Naruto half-laughed, and Sakura realized it was up to her to remind them both –

"You'll always have a home in Konoha," she said. "Both of you. Naruto, those people – you already have changed them. You make them want to be better. You are Konoha. You're its heart." She smiled at him softly. "And even if – even if they could change back, I'm Konoha, too. And Hinata. And Shikamaru. And Ino, Choji, Sai, Kiba, Shino, Tenten, Lee, and Kakashi-sensei – and Iruka-sensei. The village can't turn on you – on either of you – because _we _are the village, and we never will."

There was a pause, where thunder split the sky again, and the wind sent another limb swirling down harmlessly against Susanoo. Then a tan hand reached around Sakura's shoulders and pulled her into an orange chest, and pale fingers tangled with hers and squeezed tight. Naruto pressed a chaste kiss into her hair, and Sasuke whispered a soft thank you against the back of her hand.

They didn't make it back to Konoha until morning, when Sasuke saw them to its gates, but all night, they rested, protecting each other with chakra armor and unspoken love. They sat back to back, supporting each other, guarding each other's secrets through every lash of the storm.

They were far from perfect. No ninja lived unscarred. But each knew that when the darkness came, they wouldn't have to face it alone.

_A/N: Alright, there's another one! What did y'all think? I've been angling for Team Seven goodness lately. Want more? Should I focus in on one relationship in particular? Let me know what you think! And as always, thank you for reading – it makes me happy to know there are those who enjoy this little collection._

_-MN_


	18. Home

_A/N: Alright, it's been a minute! Time got away from me, and I'm sorry. I have a bunch of half-written pieces, and I'm not super fond of any of them. Any requests are definitely appreciated! This takes place just days after the end of the War._

**Home**

When Sasuke woke up after the War, he expected to find himself in chains. In a prison. Seals over his eyes, ANBU all around, and maybe – just maybe – if he was very lucky, a slight shield from the worst provided by those he'd hurt the most.

What he hadn't expected was a hospital bed in a double room, Naruto's bed pushed closed to his with only a small end table (overflowing with gifts for Konoha's hero, he assumed) separating them. He hadn't expected to see his best friend munching on sweets, eyes wide and joyous, smile pulling at the bandages that lined one side of his face. He hadn't expected to see Kakashi slumped on a chair in the corner, book open, or that only two ANBU seemed to be present, one outside the door and another on the roof above them.

Most of all, he hadn't expected the warmth against his leg to be Sakura curled up on the foot of his bed in the fetal position, her back pressed against his calf.

He was so surprised, in fact, that he jolted, reached for a weapon he didn't have with a hand he didn't have, legs pushing back against her.

"Oi!" Naruto grumbled through a mouthful of strawberry. "What the hell, asshole? Let her sleep!"

Sasuke froze, glancing over at him, slowly starting to process what was happening. "Why…why am I in a hospital?"

Naruto swallowed and looked at Sasuke like he'd grown an extra head. "Because you needed healing. I thought you were supposed to be the smart one, but –"

Sasuke's irritation grew, and he scowled. "No, moron, I was fine. Sakura saved us. I should be in a cell."

Naruto picked up another strawberry. "Yeah, like Kakashi-sensei or Sakura-chan would let them throw you in a cell until you were recovered. I guess you really did turn stupid out there."

Sasuke didn't say anything. He looked back down at the woman sleeping at his feet. She looked…well, she looked worse than he was pretty sure he and Naruto did. "Did anyone heal _her_?"

Naruto threw a strawberry at him. Sasuke reflexively caught it and threw it back. "Kind of," the blond said softly, and he was oddly subdued. "Granny Tsunade got a crack at her, so the worst of her injuries are healed. But she…"

"She what?" Sasuke demanded.

"She refused to let anyone else attend you," Kakashi said from the corner, finally looking up. "Some have been very vocal in their determination that you are a traitor, and she wasn't willing to you're your wellbeing to anyone else. There still will be a trial, Sasuke. But given that I have a bit more influence now, I was able to help support Sakura's determination that your wounds be completely treated before we proceed."

Sasuke wanted to thank him but wasn't sure how. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine," Naruto said, voice muffled by fruit. "She's just tired and drugged is all."

Sasuke whipped his head back around to stare at him. "She's _what?!"_

"Ino eventually got fed up with her refusal to care for her own wounds and to let anyone other than our team into this room," Kakashi explained. "Ino has some medic training, too. She brought Sakura food, drugged it, and even then, she passed out here. Trying to carry her out resulted in her nearly tearing your blanket because she refused to let go. This seemed like the best compromise."

Sasuke nudged the medic with his toe. She didn't so much as twitch. "How long has she been out?"

"Oh, since early this morning," Kakashi said calmly. "I expect it'll be another couple of hours before she wakes up. Ino's made herself scarce in the meantime."

Despite himself, Sasuke smirked, and Naruto outright laughed.

Even Kakashi's visible eye seemed a bit brighter. "Sasuke, now that you're awake, how are you feeling?"

Sasuke took stock of his injuries. Everything seemed to be either completely healed or healing. His eyes stung, but that was to be expected. He frowned. "The arm I lost…hurts."

"That's what you get for being an asshole," Naruto said, throwing a package at him. "Here – I hate those."

Sasuke looked at it. Dark chocolate? "Don't try to distract me," he muttered. "If you'd just given up on me like you should've, this wouldn't have happened, moron."

"You love me for it and you know it!" Naruto's smile was dazzling, and Kakashi's laugh had Sasuke looking down and away, focusing again on Sakura.

He pressed his leg just a little closer, and she seemed to shiver. "Someone get a blanket for her," he said. "Don't you two look out for her at all?"

"Hey!" Naruto said indignantly. "You're one to talk!"

Kakashi rose, taking an extra blanket from the closet and draping it over her. "Glad you've remembered teamwork, Sasuke. Now, I'd like to have Shikamaru explain the process to you for what's going to happen next. There will be a trial, and unfortunately all five villages will be involved, given that your attacks included more than just Konoha. Is that acceptable?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Good. Shikamaru?"

The man stepped inside, and Sasuke was surprised to realize the presence he'd taken for ANBU was actually his former classmate. "Hey there, Sasuke," he said, hands in his pockets. "You ready for a rundown of what happens next?"

His hand tightened slightly on the blanket. "Yes."

"Okay. You'll be imprisoned. Your chakra will be sealed until the end of the trial, at which point you will be sentenced. The five Kage will be the ones passing judgment, and there will be testimony from members of each of the villages, although the most important witnesses will be from Konoha and include Naruto and Sakura. We expect the trial process to take approximately a week. You will not be present for it, but you are allowed visitors, once a day, to include Kakashi-sensei and myself. Although Kakashi-sensei, Naruto, and Sakura will fight for leniency, I hope you are aware that not everyone in the village supports that outcome, and expecting it may be foolish."

Sasuke inclined his head. "I understand."

"Shikamaru!" Naruto slapped at his arm. "Don't be stupid. Everything's gonna be fine."

Nara shifted slightly towards him. "Naruto, you have to realize that things aren't as simple as you want them to be."

Sasuke suddenly felt his heart lift, because he'd heard people say things like that to Naruto before – _he'd_ said things like that to Naruto before, and –

"Sasuke." His best friend looked him right in the eye. "Everything is gonna be okay. I'll make sure of it. I promise."

Shikamaru dropped his head into his hand. Kakashi laughed.

Naruto gave him a brilliant grin and a thumbs up. "And I never go back on my word!"

"I know," Sasuke said quietly, smiling slightly. He looked back up at Shikamaru. "Can we wait until Sakura wakes up? I won't fight you."

The man hesitated, scratching the back of his head. "This would be the best opportunity for you to run, you know. Seems dumb to stretch it out."

Sasuke lifted one shoulder in a half shrug and let his eyes slide towards the window. "I won't be in prison long. Not with that idiot making promises."

"Hey! You're the idiot! If it hadn't taken you so long to listen to me, I –"

"A few more hours won't hurt, I don't think," Kakashi interrupted calmly, returning to his book.

Shikamaru sat down on the edge of Naruto's bed and started picking through the treats left by his admirers. "You're lucky Sakura wouldn't let anyone else in here. You've got some good stuff. Chōji would be all over this."

Naruto started to argue about what he was and wasn't willing to share, Kakashi returned to his book, and Sasuke glanced down to meet slightly open green eyes. Again, he shifted his leg very gently against her back. She smiled, winked, and closed them again, curling up even more tightly.

Sasuke knew he couldn't stay in Konoha. There was too much to do, to learn, to understand, about himself and the world. But it was nice, for a few hours, to let his team protect him, to pretend that Sakura was asleep and Naruto would win and Kakashi could keep the wolves at bay.

For a few hours and no more, Konoha could feel like home again.

_A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this one! I still feel like it's a bit rough, but I'm not getting any closer with my rewrites. Let me know what you think!_

_-MN_


End file.
